Dubai, UAE — The United States and Iran have a 60-day window to resolve their dispute over commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz under their newly signed memorandum of understanding (MoU), according to a former US diplomat.
Richard Schmierer, the former US ambassador to Oman, said the agreement is intended to ensure uninterrupted passage through the strategic waterway while negotiations continue.
“These negotiations will try to clarify the status of shipping through the strait, and the MoU prohibits Iran, or frankly anyone, from impeding shipping through the strait,” Schmierer told Al Jazeera.
“There should be 60 days in which that issue really doesn’t arise. There should be free shipping.”
The remarks come after Washington and Tehran agreed to halt military action and resume technical talks in Doha following days of tit-for-tat strikes around the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States and Iran will continue their talks aimed at ending the Middle East war, a US official told AFP late Sunday, adding both sides will stand down after recent clashes.
“Technical talks are slated to continue on all areas of the MOU (memorandum of understanding). Both sides will stand down for now and vessels can move freely” in and around the Strait of Hormuz, the official told AFP.
Long-term security arrangements remain contentious
Schmierer said the more difficult discussions would begin after the 60-day period, when Iran, Oman and Gulf states would need to negotiate a broader framework for maritime security in the waterway.
He said the United States and the wider international community were expected to oppose any Iranian plans to impose transit fees, insurance requirements or restrictions on commercial vessels.
“I’m sure the US position, and I think the international community’s position, will be that there cannot be prohibitions, there cannot be insurance requirements, there cannot be fees, but there should be some kind of security arrangement,” he said.
“We’ll see whether Iran can agree with that.”
Diplomacy resumes after military escalation
Schmierer said mediation efforts by Qatar and Pakistan had helped bring both sides back to the negotiating table after each sought to reinforce its interpretation of the MoU through military action.
He said both Washington and Tehran now appeared ready to shift from confrontation back to diplomacy, with Tuesday’s talks expected to focus on clarifying navigation rules in the Strait of Hormuz.
