Iran's chief negotiator says Strait of Hormuz will be administered by Iran

THE Strait of Hormuz will be administered by Iran, the chief negotiator of the Iranian delegation Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf told media on his way back from Switzerland on Monday.

The management of the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war state, Ghalibaf stressed.

He also said that Iran and the United States have agreed to establish a center and communication line to swiftly address emergent issues. He clarified that this communication line is solely for managing emergencies involving vessels and does not pertain to transit permit approvals, which will continue to follow established procedures.

The Financial Times website reported on Monday that satellite data from the European Space Agency showed that on Sunday afternoon, about 441 vessels of very large crude carriers were gathered in the waters near Oman's Port of Sohar and the UAE's Port of Fujairah, awaiting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz following U.S.-Iran negotiations. This number was significantly higher than usual, though it represented a decrease of 42 vessels from five days ago.

Following the announcement of a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, some shipping companies resumed operations amid reduced tensions. However, the situation escalated again after Israel's attacks on Lebanon, leading Iran to announce the renewed closure of the Strait. On Monday morning, four Qatari liquefied natural gas carriers navigated through the Strait of Hormuz, marking the highest single-day passage since the onset of the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict in late February.