Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday it had authorised 32 vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran and Washington moved closer to an interim peace deal reportedly mediated by Islamabad.
As Tehran and Washington inch towards an interim peace deal mediated by Islamabad, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Monday that it had permitted 32 vessels to sail through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
“In continuation of its comprehensive control of the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC Navy issued permits for 32 ships to pass through the strait. It includes the entry and exit of vessels at the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours,” the IRGC said in a statement carried by the DefaPress website.
“Some of these ships have passed through and others will pass through the strait in the coming hours. The smart control of the Strait of Hormuz is being carried out vigorously by the IRGC Navy after the severe insecurity created by the aggression of the terrorist U.S. army,” the military news website quoted the statement as saying.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have been allowing an increasing number of vessels to transit through the narrow corridor since last week. On Sunday, the force announced the passage of 33 ships, including oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels, after permits were obtained in coordination with the IRGC Navy.
On the diplomatic front, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held phone calls with the UN secretary-general, the president of Iraqi Kurdistan, and his counterparts from Qatar, Iraq, Türkiye, Oman, Egypt and Saudi Arabia over the weekend.
“The talks focused on the latest diplomatic developments in the region aimed at preventing an escalation of tensions and ending the war imposed by the U.S. and the Zionist regime (Israel) against Iran,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in statements issued over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi met Omani Foreign Minister, Badr Al-Busaidi, in Muscat on Sunday and conveyed a verbal message from the Iranian foreign minister.
“The message was communicated within the framework of continuous consultations and positive cooperation between the two neighboring countries in various fields and addressed the ongoing Iran-U.S. talks,” the senior Iranian diplomat said in a post on X.
He added that a separate meeting was held between the Iranian and Omani delegations “to review a set of principles governing the passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz by respecting the security and national sovereignty of the coastal states of the strait and in light of the applicable rules of international law.”
Amid growing diplomatic optimism, Iran confirmed that it was finalising a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. mediated by Pakistan.
“We are in the final stages of finalizing this memorandum of understanding. The issues that are being discussed at this stage are generally focused on ending the war,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said.
The spokesperson added that a number of stumbling blocks remained in the ongoing peace process.
Tehran has insisted that ending the war, releasing Iran’s frozen assets and lifting the maritime blockade are key elements of its 14-point proposal for a peace agreement.
“The issue of ending the U.S. naval aggression and issues related to the releasing of Iran’s frozen assets are among the main issues that are addressed in this memorandum of understanding,” state-owned IRNA news agency quoted Baghaei as saying.
He also confirmed that a Qatari delegation visited Tehran on Saturday during the visit of Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and held talks with Araghchi.
“These days, many countries in the region as well as outside the region are trying to help end the war and prevent the escalation of tensions.”
“These efforts are valuable in our opinion, but Pakistan remains as the official mediator in the negotiations,” the spokesperson said.
As Britain's sanctions on three Georgia-registered companies made headlines on 26 May, the Georgian side of the story was already complicated. The Nat...
The U.N. human rights office said Israeli forces may be committing unlawful killings near the military armistice line in Gaza, after data showed that ...
Israeli forces carried out more than 120 airstrikes across southern and eastern Lebanon on Tuesday (26 May), killing at least 31 people in one of the ...
Hamas has confirmed the death of its armed wing chief, Mohammad Odeh, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City, according to the Israeli milit...
Spanish police visited the headquarters of the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) in Madrid on Wednesday as part of a widening High Court investigation int...
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 27 May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations has accused the United States of breaching its obligations as host of the UN after denying a visa to a senior Russian official to attend a Security Council meeting.
Tehran has sent a senior delegation to Qatar for indirect talks on a possible peace deal with Washington amid rising tensions following a U.S. air strike on an Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz.
At least 31 people were killed and 40 injured in Israeli air attacks on southern and eastern Lebanon, Beirut's government said on Wednesday, in one of the heaviest days of bombing in weeks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country's army was stepping up operations in Lebanon.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for 26 May, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Iran has called Monday's U.S. strikes on it 'a gross violation' of their ceasefire. The U.S. military said it carried out defensive strikes in southern Iran after boats were seen laying mines in the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, the U.S. says a peace deal may require several more days.
Shortly after nine o’clock on Tuesday morning (26 May), a sleek white train eased into Tbilisi’s central railway station, a couple of minutes behind schedule, carrying passengers from Baku for the first time since 2020.
The new AnewZ documentary, TARGET: Yerevan, builds its explosive case on exclusive, secret recordings originally published by Minval Politika.
Dozens of people were killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Tuesday, Lebanese officials said, straining a fragile ceasefire agreed between the countries in April. The attacks came as Iran accused the U.S. of violating a separate ceasefire with strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.N. human rights office said Israeli forces may be committing unlawful killings near the military armistice line in Gaza, after data showed that roughly a third of verified Palestinian deaths since the October truce occurred close to the boundary area.
Hamas has confirmed the death of its armed wing chief, Mohammad Odeh, who was killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza City, according to the Israeli military and Gaza health officials.
Dozens of people were killed in Israeli strikes on Lebanon on Tuesday, Lebanese officials said, straining a fragile ceasefire agreed between the countries in April. The attacks came as Iran accused the U.S. of violating a separate ceasefire with strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.
At least 31 people were killed and 40 injured in Israeli air attacks on southern and eastern Lebanon, Beirut's government said on Wednesday, in one of the heaviest days of bombing in weeks. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country's army was stepping up operations in Lebanon.
Iran is restoring global Internet access after President Masoud Pezeshkian ordered the repeal of restrictions that have been in place for almost three months.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment