Iran has rejected international participation in the demining of the Strait of Hormuz after French President Emmanuel Macron proposed a similar initiative. This was stated by the country's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Garibabadi, quoted by DPA.
He pointed out that such a deployment of international forces would violate the current framework agreement, according to which the responsibility for mine clearance lies entirely with Iran.
Garibabadi stressed that Tehran would never allow a joint operation and accused Paris of further exacerbating the already tense situation in the strategically important strait.
"We strongly advise France not to further complicate the situation with such provocations," he wrote on the social network X.
Macron raised the topic of the Strait of Hormuz during the visit to Paris of the Sultan of Oman Haitham bin Tariq.
"We decided to cooperate jointly, in coordination with our partners, on the demining of the strait in order to guarantee the security of sea routes and the free and unconditional passage through the Strait of Hormuz," Macron wrote in X after the meeting.
The Elysee Palace also issued a joint statement stating that the French president and the Sultan of Oman "underlined the importance of reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reaffirmed their commitment to free, unconditional and unrestricted navigation, including the right of transit passage in accordance with international maritime law."
The document added that "the two sides agreed to work together with all interested parties to support freedom of navigation and to conduct joint mine clearance operations."
When asked for clarification, the Elysee Palace did not indicate whether Oman had actually supported the initiative by France and Britain for an international naval mission in the strait after the final cessation of hostilities, nor whether other specific plans were being discussed between Paris and Muscat.
The Strait of Hormuz is one one of the most important energy sea corridors in the world, through which a significant part of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass.