new delhi, Aug. 17 -- Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has 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 navigation path must be established. "For now, we are designing a temporary route, which can then, at a later stage, be turned into a final route," he noted. While expressing optimism that an agreement could be reached soon, Araghchi emphasised that establishing a new maritime channel does not automatically signal the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. "We may reach an outcome soon, but I want to emphasise that these negotiations and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz are two separate issues. This is a technical negotiation concerning the designation of a maritime route," he reiterated. Araghchi stressed that once the temporary route is finalised, any decision regarding the actual resumption of shipping through the strategic choke point will depend on Washington fulfilling specific obligations. "Once this route has been determined, whether the Strait will be reopened or not will depend on the fulfilment of other conditions to which the United States must adhere," Araghchi stated. On Friday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi rejected US President Donald Trump's remarks that he would declare the Strait of Hormuz "a territory of the United States" after defeating Iran, saying the strategic waterway "cannot be seized by tweet" or military force....