TEHRAN -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is conditional on the United States returning to its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum, and stressed that the agreement with Oman does not mean the strait will be reopened.
Speaking to Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed ahead of Monday’s meeting in Muscat, Araghchi said the sole agenda of the meeting is a new maritime route in the Strait of Hormuz. 
“We will provide the details of the agreement with Oman and the maps related to the new route to the participating countries,” he said. Araghchi clarified: “The agreement with the Sultanate of Oman does not in any way mean the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz is the return of the United States to its obligations in the Islamabad memorandum.”
He noted that the meeting is in fact a meeting of eight Persian Gulf littoral states, which Bahrain, for reasons it has announced, did not wish to attend. 
“Therefore, the meeting will be held with the presence of seven Persian Gulf coastal countries, and other interpretations that may be used to describe the title or nature of this meeting are not accurate and correct.”
The foreign minister explained that during talks between Iran and Oman, an agreement was reached on creating a new maritime route in the Strait of Hormuz, maps related to this route were prepared, and a joint statement was drafted. 
“At this meeting, the details of this agreement, the relevant maps, and the joint statement are to be communicated to the other countries of the Persian Gulf region, and after that, ultimately, this collection will be sent to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to be registered and placed within the framework of this organization’s mechanisms.”
Araghchi emphasized that the meeting’s agenda is “completely clear and limited, and other issues should not be defined as its official agenda.” 
He added that this is the first time such a dialogue is taking place between the Persian Gulf countries in this format, and expressed hope that “this same dialogue, if there is political will, can provide the basis or foundation for subsequent consultations on other issues of interest to the countries of the region.”
On Iran’s objectives, Araghchi said: “Iran fundamentally believes that it is only the countries of the region that are responsible for the security and stability of this region. Therefore, it is natural that they themselves should talk and consult with each other about the issues and challenges of the region.”
He stressed that the meeting’s goal is not to create a new security mechanism for the region, and that such a matter is not on the agenda. 
“However, the fact that the countries of the region are sitting around a table for the first time at such a level and talking about a specific issue related to the security and shipping of the region is an important event and can be considered a confidence-building step.”
Asked about the implications of the Yemen situation on the meeting, Araghchi drew a distinction. 
“This meeting is not being held to examine the Yemen file or to resolve differences between the countries of the region. As I said, the specific agenda of the meeting is the issue of new maritime arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz and informing about the agreement and related documents.”
He added: “We believe that the Yemen issue has no military solution, and the future of this country must be determined by the Yemenis themselves through dialogue and an inclusive political process.”
On the agreement’s content, Araghchi reiterated: “This agreement does not in any way mean the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. The Iran-Oman understanding in fact specifies the framework and arrangements according to which, if conditions are provided for the reopening of the strait, maritime traffic will be conducted on that basis.”
Araghchi said if the United States returns to the commitments it accepted and signed in the Islamabad memorandum and acts on them, the ground will be provided for the situation in the Strait of Hormuz to return to normal. 
“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers itself committed to trying to ensure the security of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, but naturally the aggressive actions and illegal interventions of the United States, including the naval blockade and economic war, are the main cause of insecurity of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.”