IRAN'S sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz is essential for reaching a peace deal with the U.S., an Iranian official said on Monday (May 25).
Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament's National Security Committee, said the strait is not up for negotiations “the way we did with the nuclear issue.”
Oil prices fell nearly 7% on Monday as optimism grew that the United States and Iran were moving closer to a peace deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, even though Washington and Tehran played down hopes for an imminent breakthrough.
Iran's top negotiator and its foreign minister were in Doha for talks with Qatar's prime minister on a potential deal with the U.S. to end the three-month-old war, an official briefed on the visit said on Monday.
Both sides said they have made progress on a memorandum of understanding that would halt the war and give negotiators 60 days to reach a final deal.
Citing a Middle East diplomatic source, the Nikkei newspaper reported on Monday that the U.S. and Iran were discussing a plan to open the Strait of Hormuz about 30 days after the two countries reach a deal to end hostilities.
Iran would proceed to clear mines from the strait during a 30-day window following an agreement, after which ships from all countries would be able to navigate freely and safely, and Iran would stop collecting transit fees, Nikkei said.
The ceasefire agreed in early April would be extended for 60 days, with the plan to hold talks on Iran's nuclear program during the two-month pause, the report added.
