Iran claims control of Hormuz Strait

TEHRAN (AFP) — Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz will be administered by Tehran following talks aimed at ending the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

“The Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war conditions and will be administered by the Islamic Republic of Iran, in accordance with international law,” Ghalibaf said, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.

Iran and the United States agreed Monday to establish communication channels to help keep the strategic shipping route open and reduce regional tensions, mediators said, following their first round of talks in Switzerland.

In a video posted on his Telegram account, Ghalibaf said the negotiations at the Swiss resort of Burgenstock yielded “good achievements.”

“In my view, this trip had good achievements, especially regarding the discussion of the Strait, the Lebanon discussions, the question of oil waiver, and the matter of releasing the frozen funds,” he said.

The United States temporarily suspended sanctions on Iranian oil Monday after Vice President JD Vance said Tehran would allow UN nuclear inspectors to return. The agreement also includes potential sanctions relief and the unfreezing of some Iranian assets.

“Of course, we believe we are still at the beginning of this work and must continue our efforts,” Ghalibaf added.

Iranian state media said Ghalibaf also visited Oman, which shares the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway, a critical route for global oil shipments, reopened last week after Washington and Tehran agreed to hold talks. Tehran later announced it had again closed the strait in response to Israeli attacks in Lebanon.

Since then, Iran and the United States have agreed to establish a communication line “to avoid incidents and miscommunication with the aim of safe passage for commercial vessels” through the waterway, according to Qatari and Pakistani mediators.

Maritime traffic through the strait continued Monday at a faster pace than before the talks, according to vessel-tracking firms.