US Warns Iran Against Any Changes in Strait of Hormuz
The United States has sent a clear message to Iran regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, as indirect talks between the two nations concluded in Doha, Qatar. Washington has emphasised its rejection of any changes by Tehran in the strategic waterway.
According to sources speaking to Al Arabiya, the US has informed Iran of its opposition to any alteration of the current status quo in the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that remains a point of contention between the two countries. Washington, according to the sources cited by Al Arabiya, has stressed to Tehran that any change in the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the initial agreement reached by both nations.
The sources said that the US views Iran’s stance and approach to the situation in the Strait of Hormuz as a first test of the country’s commitment to the existing deal. The US is reportedly continuing to closely monitor Iranian movements in the waterway, which is vital for global oil and gas supplies.
According to the sources cited by Al Arabiya, Tehran has also been told by Washington that any progress regarding the unfreezing of Iranian assets will depend on their full compliance with the agreed-upon memorandum of understanding (MoU).
This US warning comes after the Iranian military cautioned that any Washington interference in the Strait of Hormuz would trigger a ‘decisive and swift’ response. Tehran has also protested the continuous presence of US fighter jets and drones in the Strait of Hormuz, which it claims threatens regional security.
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the joint operational command of the Iranian military, stated that all oil tankers and commercial vessels must use the navigation routes designated by Iran when passing through the Strait of Hormuz, or face a ‘direct and decisive response’ from the Iranian military.
The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding in mid-June, which regulates a previously agreed 60-day ceasefire, the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iranian ports, and the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Technical negotiations to follow up on the MoU have been held recently, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar. On Thursday, mediators announced that the next round of technical negotiations would be held ‘as soon as possible’, after Iran completes the funeral of its former supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Separately, a senior source told Al Arabiya that the next round of US-Iran technical negotiations is scheduled for 18 July.