Tehran, Aug. 16 -- Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that the ongoing bilateral negotiations between Iran and Oman are "completely separate" from the issue of reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

According to Al Jazeera, Araghchi, speaking with Shahrara News, clarified that ongoing discussions with Muscat focus specifically on designating updated navigation lanes for vessel transit, as previous maritime routes are no longer operational.

"Our negotiations with Oman are ongoing. That is a completely separate matter. It is a technical issue concerning the designation of maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz for the passage of ships," Araghchi said.

He explained that because the former transit routes are no longer functional, a new...