Gharibabadi: We Proposed a New Shipping Route in Oman

Gharibabadi: One day before traveling to Oman, we held a meeting for about three hours with senior military commanders. In Oman, our request was that the southern passage route for vessels be suspended and temporarily closed. In return, in consultation with the military commanders responsible for controlling the Strait of Hormuz, we presented the Omani side with a proposal for a new route for vessels to enter and exit. Our proposal was that neither the northern route nor the southern route be used, but rather that vessels pass through this new route so that security would be ensured, tensions and clashes would be prevented, and ultimately all parties would return to fulfilling their commitments. In fact, the Islamic Republic of Iran showed the utmost goodwill in these negotiations; but at the same time, it emphasized that the use of the southern route is, under no circumstances, acceptable to us.