Tehran Secures Initial Sketch of Agreement with Washington to Ease Maritime Tensions
According to official Iranian television, citing Reuters, a preliminary and informal framework for a potential agreement with the United States has been formalized. The document outlines a major de-escalation, with Iran agreeing to restore commercial navigation in the Strait of Hormuz to pre-conflict levels within a month in exchange for a US military withdrawal and the lifting of the naval blockade.
Under the proposed agreement, the US would withdraw its military forces deployed near Iran and lift the naval blockade in place. However, Iranian authorities are taking a cautious approach, with the general framework of the protocol, dubbed the Islamabad Memorandum, still not finalized. Tehran has already warned that no concrete measures will be taken without the establishment of a mutual verification mechanism.
Diplomatic and operational negotiations are subject to a strict agenda. If a final agreement is reached within 60 days, it will be formalized as a binding resolution by the United Nations Security Council. The text explicitly excludes the transit of military fleets, while commercial traffic management in the strategic strait will be jointly handled by Iran and Oman.
This behind-the-scenes diplomacy stems from indirect talks initiated in the aftermath of the February war, with Pakistan serving as the primary mediator between Tehran and Washington.
Despite these diplomatic advances, Iran's military branch remains firm in its stance. The Revolutionary Guard Corps has reaffirmed, via AFP, that the ban on transit for hostile nations remains in full effect in the Strait of Hormuz.
However, a sign of potential early application or good faith, the military command has announced the authorization of 23 commercial vessels to pass through the strait, stating that its naval forces will actively cooperate with countries willing to comply with Iranian maritime directives.
