Gharibabadi: Omani Government Should Not Succumb to Threats / Iran Does Not Want to Keep Ships Behind the Strait

Tehran - BORNA - Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated during a television interview: "Currently, stopping vessels behind the Strait of Hormuz carries a heavy cost for the ships, including the cost of stopping, or costs related to warehousing and failure to deliver the cargo to the destination. We have even received reports that war insurance costs have increased by up to 500 percent over the course of just the past two or three months."

He emphasized: "At present, Western countries and European insurance companies benefit from this very issue, and the loss is directed at the vessels. The two countries of Iran and Oman face no loss, but who takes the profit? Western countries. Whose cost has increased? The cost of companies, countries, and ships and vessels that are waiting behind the Strait of Hormuz to pass through this route. Therefore, it is to their benefit to comply with the systems that Iran has considered, because the cost of maritime services is much lower than war insurances, and it also does not carry the risk of stopping, inspection, and seizure; their rapid passage is guaranteed, hence it is to their benefit to comply with these systems."

Gharibabadi, raising the question that some countries are looking to know what objective Iran pursues by establishing the new mechanism, said: "We make them understand that it is to your benefit, your companies' benefit, and your vessels' benefit to come and comply with these systems; your costs will decrease. Your security risks will decrease and passage will be facilitated. Now, these countries reach the conclusion that doing these things is to their benefit. The objective of the Islamic Republic of Iran is not to keep ships behind the Strait; its objective is to tell them that I am doing something that is not contrary to international law."

The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized that the arrangements established by Iran are not temporary. "Whether you like it or not, these arrangements will be applied by Iran. It will certainly be hard, complex, and difficult, and it will entail criticisms and pressures, but we will pursue the implementation of this and we will not back down from this issue."

Gharibabadi noted: "This region has no more than two coastal states; the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Sultanate of Oman are these two states that have the right to exercise sovereignty over territorial waters and the Strait of Hormuz, and it is important from this aspect as well."

He stated: "Under wartime conditions, the Islamic Republic of Iran has defined the arrangements and controls traffic in the Strait of Hormuz; we have not allowed any other country to interfere in this field."

The Deputy for Legal and International Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also expressed: "But we must also think about peacetime conditions. If conditions become normal, we must naturally prescribe arrangements for passage there; arrangements whereby vessels can have a safe and secure passage, because these restrictions will not be lifelong. Therefore, it is important that we have the cooperation of the other coastal state, namely the Sultanate of Oman. In fact, the legal arrangements are through cooperation and coordination with the Omani government. The consultations we had in this field were in this direction so that we could achieve a consensus and have coordination for applying passage arrangements during peacetime."

Oman Believes It Has the Right to Exercise Sovereignty Over Territorial Waters and This Right Is Unassailable

He noted: "We have achieved good progress; it appears that Oman believes it has the right to exercise sovereignty over its territorial waters, and this is a right that is completely unassailable, and we will continue our consultations and advice with Oman."

Gharibabadi recalled: "We saw that American officials, including the president of this country, threatened Oman that this is a violation of international law. Although the US holds no respect for international law and threatens countries wherever it sees them taking steps to exercise their sovereignty, this issue is rejected and has no place in the system of international law."

Araghchi's deputy, regarding whether the Omanis will continue this path or not, said: "It depends on the Omani government; we have asked them not to succumb to these threats. It is the right of the Omani government to be able to exercise its sovereignty. Certainly, our preferred and priority option is to advance the passage arrangements for peacetime in coordination and cooperation with Oman as a coastal state."

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