Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking during an official visit to Baghdad, signaled firm control over the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that responsibility for its management and any reopening lies exclusively with the Islamic Republic.
While also urging all external actors to refrain from interfering in Tehran’s sovereign arrangements for the strategic waterway, he said that the arrangement and management will be implemented under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the United States.
At a joint press conference with Iraq’s Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein, Araghchi said, “Based on the memorandum of understanding, the Strait of Hormuz, under the management that Iran will adopt, will return to its pre-war capacity within 30 days, after the obstacles are removed by the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Referring to incidents in the Strait of Hormuz over the past two consecutive days of exchange of firing and confrontations with the US military, Araghchi said the other sides must not interfere in Iran’s arrangements for reopening the waterway.
“I ask all parties not to interfere in the issue of managing the Strait of Hormuz and the arrangements adopted by the Islamic Republic of Iran for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, to adhere to the signed memorandum of understanding, and not to allow this memorandum of understanding to deviate from its course,” he said.
Araghchi also expressed appreciation to Iraqi officials for their hospitality and described the discussions in Baghdad as comprehensive, covering both bilateral relations and broader regional developments.
He underscored that relations between Iran and Iraq remain “strategic and highly valuable,” and reaffirmed Tehran’s intention to deepen cooperation with Baghdad across multiple sectors.
During the visit, Araghchi also linked regional stability to broader diplomatic understandings outlined in the MoU. He claimed that, under its first clause, hostilities are expected to cease across all fronts, including Lebanon, and highlighted what he called the “heroic resistance of the Iranian people” during the conflict and subsequent developments.
He further criticized continued military actions attributed to Israel, arguing that responsibility falls on the United Statesunder commitments it accepted on behalf of itself and Israel within the agreement—to halt such operations, ensure an end to the conflict in Lebanon, and support withdrawal from occupied territories in line with the MoU.
Araghchi, who led a political delegation to Iraq, also paid respects upon arrival to figures he described as martyrs of anti-terror operations, including Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani and Iraq’s militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis.
His agenda in Iraq additionally included discussions on arrangements for memorial and funeral ceremonies for the late leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ali Khamenei, scheduled across several Iraqi cities.
Araghchi cautioned that any alternative arrangements outside the current MoU framework would risk exacerbating tensions and delaying the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He argued that confrontation or deviation from the agreement would further complicate efforts to stabilize the region.
Separately, Iranian officials noted that maritime traffic through the Strait has increased following the signing of the US–Iran memorandum earlier in the month, though it remains below pre-war levels. Tehran has maintained warnings that vessels require authorization to transit the Gulf via the strait, even as some ships continue movement through alternative routes not recognized by Iranian authorities.
Araghchi’s statement comes amid renewed diplomatic activity involving Iran and regional partners.
Iranian and Omani officials recently convened the inaugural meeting of a newly established Joint Hormuz Committee in Muscat, marking the start of a structured dialogue on the governance and management of the Strait of Hormuz.
The meeting, attended by Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi and Oman’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Abdulaziz Al Hinai, focused on laying the groundwork for coordinated discussions on the future of one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors.
