Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator in the talks, Mohammad Ghalibaf, in an interview on June 17, said: “The agreement is a record of U.S. failure. People will see it and judge.” He cited one example, the control of the Strait of Hormuz, where, according to the 5th clause, the presently trapped ships, along with any other ships over the next 60 days, will be helped to transit, free of charge. But that is “for 60 days only.” Meanwhile, it reads: “Iran will conduct dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman to define the future administration and maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz in discussion with other Persian Gulf littoral states, in line with applicable international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz.” Iran and Oman have discussed both what services they will provide and the use of an appropriate service fee.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that a framework was being developed to manage the use of the Strait, with consultations already held with Oman. But he emphasized a larger point, that ending the war in Lebanon was just as important as doing so for Iran. Hence, the first clause of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) mentions Lebanon “three times, including respect for its territorial integrity and sovereignty.” The language of that first clause has the U.S. and Iran declaring “the immediate and permanent termination of military operations on all fronts, including in Lebanon... and to ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Lebanon. The final deal will confirm the permanent termination of the war on all fronts, including in Lebanon….”
