Iran warned on Tuesday that it would not allow any country or company receiving frozen Iranian assets as compensation for damaged vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, marking a new escalation involving the vital waterway as negotiations between Tehran and Washington continue and Oman advances a proposal for joint management of the strait.
Iranian state media quoted the country’s top military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, as saying that any country or company benefiting from frozen Iranian assets to compensate for losses involving its vessels “will not be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Iranian military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement regarding the use of frozen Iranian funds to compensate vessels damaged by Iran in the Gulf.
Trump, meanwhile, renewed his threat on Tuesday to target the “Pickaxe Mountain” site, along with bridges and other civilian targets, if an agreement with Iran is not reached. At the same time, he said talks between the two sides were “productive” and offered an opportunity to reach a settlement.
Speaking to Fox News, Trump said the United States “cannot allow Iran to violate agreements anymore,” stressing that Washington’s position toward Tehran remains “very strong.”
Trump added that he did not want to target power stations and bridges in Iran, saying he was “not looking to do that,” but warned that “Pickaxe Mountain” and other sites could become targets if no agreement is reached.
In a related development, a Gulf source said Oman had presented Iran with a proposal to establish a joint regional mechanism for managing the Strait of Hormuz. The plan would rely on voluntary contributions from users of the shipping route to fund navigation management, environmental protection, search-and-rescue operations and other maritime services.
The source said the proposal would not grant Iran unilateral control over the strait and has regional backing. It was presented to Iranian officials in Tehran earlier this week.
The proposal is based on the management model used for the Strait of Malacca, which involves cooperation among Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, alongside contributions from users to help finance maritime services.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important maritime passages. Before the outbreak of the war, roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies passed through the waterway, meaning any developments affecting its security or management could have a direct impact on global energy markets.
Iran maintains that navigation through the strait “will not return to what it was before,” while Gulf states reject the imposition of any mandatory fees payable to Tehran for vessels passing through the waterway.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Monday discussed developments in the Strait of Hormuz with his Omani and Saudi counterparts.
In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Araghchi stressed the “need to strengthen cooperation and advance joint diplomatic efforts to establish stability in the region,” while blaming the United States for security tensions in the strait.
Trump said Monday that the United States was holding “good talks” with Iran but warned that U.S. strikes could resume if negotiations failed to produce an agreement.
Source: AFP
