Agreement on Hormuz will be reached soon: US Secretary of State

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that there is no final agreement between the United States and Iran on the strategically important international waterway, the Strait of Hormuz. However, he also expressed hope that an agreement will be reached very soon.

Rubio told reporters at the State Department in Washington on Tuesday (August 4) local time. Anadolu Agency

He said, "There has been progress in the talks, but no final decision has been made yet. We hope that an agreement will be reached very soon."

He said that some commercial ships are already moving through the Strait of Hormuz. However, discussions are underway between the United States and Iran, mediated by Oman, to allow more ships to travel safely.

Rubio said, "Oil is still being transported through the Strait of Hormuz. That is, the strait is not completely closed.’

He also mentioned the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait at this time. Concerns have also arisen about this waterway after Yemen’s Houthi group threatened to attack ships related to Saudi ports.

It is worth noting that the Bab al-Mandeb Strait is located between Yemen and the Horn of Africa. It connects the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea and is a very important waterway for ships traveling between Asia, the Middle East and Europe via the Suez Canal.

Earlier on Tuesday, US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said that talks with Iran on the Strait of Hormuz were continuing and an agreement could be reached by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Rubio also said that while a possible agreement on the Strait of Hormuz is currently under discussion, the main goal of the United States is to reach a long-term and final agreement to stop Iran’s nuclear program.

Meanwhile, mediators from Pakistan and Qatar are working on a draft document to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with contacts with the United States, Iran and other regional partners being stepped up, a Pakistani government source said.