Iran Denies Talks with US, Discusses Hormuz Strait with Oman

Iran on Monday denied it was negotiating with the United States and stated that Tehran is cooperating with Oman to open a temporary shipping lane in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the talks with Muscat are focused on efforts to ensure the safety of ship traffic in the strategic waterway. “Our current discussions with Oman are focused on efforts to ensure safe shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” Baqaei said, as quoted by the semi-official Fars news agency. “We are working to establish a temporary route as soon as possible through cooperation with Oman so that the safety of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz can be guaranteed,” he said. Baqaei also denied reports of negotiations between Tehran and Washington. “We are not negotiating with the United States,” he said. The statement was delivered a day after US President Donald Trump stated that talks with Iran would begin on Monday afternoon. Trump said he was optimistic that an agreement regarding the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s denuclearisation programme could be reached soon. However, Baqaei stressed that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz would not change as long as the United States continues its aggressive actions and maintains its blockade against Iran. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy trade routes, serving as the main link for crude oil and natural gas shipments from the Gulf region to international markets.