Tehran, 15 August 2026 9IRNA/Anadolu)

Iranian officials have reiterated that control over the Strait of Hormuz remains under Tehran’s authority, rejecting recent claims by US President Donald Trump concerning the strategic waterway.

Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, said that statements on social media, military deployments, official orders or political speeches could not determine whether the Strait would be opened or closed. He stressed that Iran would not be pressured by threats or displays of military strength.

In a post on X, Gharibabadi responded to Trump’s suggestion that Washington could potentially declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory following what Trump described as Iran’s defeat. Gharibabadi maintained that the waterway had historically been Iranian, remained so, and that decisions over its opening or closure rested with Iran.

Meanwhile, Iran said it had reached an agreement with Oman on a proposed shipping-route map for the Strait of Hormuz following several weeks of technical negotiations. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Saturday that Tehran and Muscat had made significant progress after months of discussions aimed at establishing safer navigation routes.

According to Baghaei, the agreement was reached through coordination involving Iran’s foreign ministry as well as defense, security and environmental authorities. The two countries are still working on remaining issues, including a joint statement, and further consultations are expected before the process is finalized.

Baghaei described the arrangement as an independent agreement between Iran and Oman, intended to facilitate safe shipping while respecting the sovereignty of both countries. However, he said the full restoration of security and normal commercial traffic through the Strait would depend on an end to what Tehran describes as US military pressure, threats and the naval blockade, as well as compensation for alleged breaches of commitments.

The negotiations form part of a broader framework established under an Iran-US memorandum of understanding, which tasked Iran and Oman with developing a new navigation system for the Strait. Tehran has continued to maintain that any full reopening of the waterway remains conditional on the United States meeting its obligations under the agreement.