청주는 버스킹 성지…6곳 조성

Six months into the Iran War, both Iran and the intermediary nations have been striving to open the Hormuz Strait as a diplomatic effort. Saudi Arabia's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammad bin Abdullah Al-Saud, visited Tehran on the 27th to push for the opening of the Hormuz Strait. During his visit, Al-Saud emphasized to Iranian high-ranking officials that respecting freedom of navigation in the Hormuz Strait according to international law is crucial.

He met with Iran's former war negotiation head Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, President Masoud Pejveni, and Chairman of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezai. Discussions included the construction of a temporary joint navigation route in the Hormuz Strait and joint projects to remove mines from the strait. After the meeting, Rezai briefed that he is preparing a list of conditions for reopening the Hormuz Strait.

He stated in a press conference with Lebanon's Al Manar TV, "The conditions Iran puts forward for the opening of the Hormuz Strait include peace and termination of wars in the southwest Asia." Rezai also noted that an agreement on the reunification of Oman and Iran would be established if Oman and Iran agree to it. He added that if the US fulfills Iran's demands, ships will be able to reassemble in the specified central channel within the Hormuz Strait.

Iran has been insisting on returning to the post-conflict agreement, which includes control over Hormuz Strait, payment of compensation, and lifting of sanctions. However, it remains unclear whether the US is willing to modify its demands to a level that Iran can accept. President Donald Trump has repeatedly rejected the agreement on post-conflict matters, making the mediation efforts seem futile according to the Wall Street Journal on the 27th.

The Journal reported that Trump showed no mercy to Iran and is likely to continue economic sanctions on Iran despite the positive evaluation of the agreement by the US. Iran, on the other hand, shows no willingness to lower its conditions. The newspaper warned Iran against trying to escape the agreement, especially that Iran interprets Iran's five conditions for opening the Hormuz Strait as the authority to decide the opening condition and claims control over the strait.

The intermediaries tried to persuade Iran to lower its demands, but the efforts have not yielded any results. Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff, General Asim Munir, visited Iran on the 24th and met with President Masoud Pejveni and others, but did not see any outcome. Oman had several talks with Iran to discuss establishing a temporary reunification channel, but the US administration criticized Oman for giving too much, leading to a stalemate in the ongoing talks.