Iran says draft deal with US would reopen Hormuz shipping, end naval blockade

Iran's state TV said ​it ⁠had obtained a draft of an initial, ‌unofficial framework for ‌a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States on ending their conflict.

Under the framework, Iran ‌would restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz ⁠to pre-war levels within a month, while the United States would withdraw military forces from Iran's vicinity and lift a naval blockade.

State TV said the framework, which excludes military vessels and envisages Iran ​managing ship traffic through the strait in cooperation ‌with Oman, was not yet finalised and that Tehran would take no steps without "tangible verification."

"The United States has committed itself to lifting Iran's naval blockade and to cease harassing ships passing to or from the Islamic Republic of Iran," the state TV report said.

In return Iran would allow commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to resume as it had before the war within one month, according to the draft.

Iranian ambassador to South Korea Saeed Koozechi (R) arrives at the Foreign Ministry in Seoul. AFP

The draft says Iran would continue to manage shipping lanes, inspect vessels, and impose service fees on ships — measures which have only been imposed since the war.

Iran's commitments would not apply to military vessels, and Tehran had not agreed "to unconditionally reopen the strait," it added.

On the withdrawal of US troops from the region, the draft said Washington had given "a commitment to the Islamic Republic of Iran regarding this issue."

It added ⁠that if a final agreement was reached within 60 days, it could be approved as a binding UN ​Security ‌Council resolution.

The emerging US-Iran MoU stems from indirect ‌talks launched after the war that began in February, with Pakistan playing a central mediating role between Tehran ‌and Washington.

The war ‌erupted after a ⁠sharp escalation between Iran and Israel earlier ‌this year, with both sides exchanging missile and drone attacks that disrupted shipping in ⁠the Gulf and drew in U.S. military ​involvement, raising fears of a wider regional conflict.

Reuters / AFP