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.
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Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
An Iranian tanker was hit by U.S. forces on Saturday near Iran's key oil export hub, Kharg Island, in the Gulf, the semi-official Iranian news agency Tasnim reported.
U.S. efforts to squeeze Iran’s economy through an oil blockade and sanctions are becoming increasingly difficult for Tehran to withstand, according to three senior Iranian sources. Washington is escalating pressure in hopes of securing concessions in future negotiations.
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