U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that Washington and Tehran have not yet finalized negotiations over access to key international waterways, but expressed hope that an agreement could be reached “very soon.”
Speaking to reporters at the State Department, Rubio confirmed that discussions have made progress following reports that both sides were close to an agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
“There has been progress in those talks, but they are not yet complete,” Rubio said. “We hope that happens very soon.”
Rubio added that, despite attempts to disrupt maritime traffic, some commercial vessels have continued to transit the region. He revealed that the United States, Oman, and Iran are engaged in negotiations aimed at enabling more ships to pass safely through the strategic waterways in the near term.
“There is a conversation and a negotiation involving the United States, Oman, and Iran about how more ships can safely transit in the short term,” Rubio stated.
He also emphasized that oil shipments are still moving through the region.
“Oil is moving through the straits now. So the straits are open,” Rubio said, referring to both the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, located between Yemen and the Horn of Africa.
