Iran's Chief Negotiator: "Free Passage Through Hormuz Only for 60 Days… Will Not Relinquish Rights"

▲ Strait of Hormuz

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Parliament and Iran's chief negotiator for ending the war, stated on June 30 (local time) that toll-free passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be permitted only for the 60-day period during which negotiations to end the war with the United States are underway.

During a televised address to the nation that day, Speaker Ghalibaf said, "According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to end the war, free passage through the Strait of Hormuz is allowed for only 60 days."

He claimed, "This is in response to strong requests from regional countries and Persian Gulf littoral states, and it is a measure primarily intended for vessels that were trapped in the region due to the blockade of the strait at the time the war broke out."

Ghalibaf reiterated his existing position, stating, "Sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz rests with Iran and Oman. While we consult with Persian Gulf littoral states, passage through the strait must be conducted entirely according to the methods and procedures determined by Iran."

He emphasized, "As the Strait of Hormuz is Iran's territorial water, Iran will never relinquish its rights over the strait under any circumstances."

Regarding the status of negotiations with the U.S., Ghalibaf said, "Our negotiations with the U.S. only took place until the signing of the MOU, and there are no ongoing negotiations at this time." He added, "My visit to Switzerland was also to discuss the implementation of the five MOU clauses, and we will not engage in further negotiations until the conditions of the MOU are met."

He explained, "We consider the incidents that occurred in the Persian Gulf over the past few days as violations of the ceasefire agreement and will respond firmly," adding, "In recent cases of ceasefire violations, U.S. military bases in Bahrain and Kuwait became (our) targets."

He warned, "This process shows that we are sincere in implementing the agreement. We are engaged in dialogue, and if the other side does not intend to fulfill its promises, we are prepared for war."

Ghalibaf claimed, "The MOU to end the war is a document that proves the defeat of the U.S. and Israel. The Zionist regime (Israel) is opposed to it, and after it was signed, they launched a massive attack on Lebanon and attempted to occupy some key strongholds to derail the agreement."

He stated, "It was because of these events that we headed to Switzerland. The main agenda we pursued there was a ceasefire in Lebanon," adding, "As a result of follow-up measures, the scale of attacks on Lebanon has decreased to a level incomparable to before."

He also touted achievements, noting that while Iran could not export a single barrel of oil during the U.S. maritime blockade, it has sold approximately 40 million barrels of crude oil since the lifting of the blockade. "Some say that the lifting of sanctions is merely an empty promise, but the sanctions have actually been lifted, and Iranian crude oil is being sold at a 20% higher price, with the proceeds being deposited into our accounts," he said.

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