Europeans open Hormuz talks with Iran’s IRGC

Shafaq News- Tehran

European parties have entered negotiations with the naval forces of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) over transit through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state television reported on Saturday, as restrictions in the strategic waterway continue.

The broadcaster explained that the talks came after vessels from East Asian countries crossed the Strait through routes south of Hormuz Island and Larak Island under a transit system overseen by Tehran.

Meanwhile, Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, revealed that Iran had prepared a “professional mechanism” to regulate shipping traffic in the Strait while safeguarding international trade and Iranian sovereignty.

According to Azizi, the proposed arrangement would be limited to commercial vessels and parties “cooperating with Iran,” with Tehran charging fees for specialized maritime services. He added that the route would remain closed to operators linked to the so-called “Freedom Project,” in reference to US-backed naval operations in the Gulf.

Tehran has restricted vessels linked to the United States and Israel from transiting the maritime gateway for more than two months in response to US-Israeli strikes, disrupting a corridor that carries roughly a quarter of global seaborne oil trade. Washington later imposed similar restrictions on vessels departing Iranian ports.

Iran continues to reject US demands to fully reopen Hormuz unless Washington lifts its naval blockade and releases frozen Iranian assets while easing sanctions. Both sides have recently agreed to postpone discussions over Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile —the central dispute in nuclear negotiations— while prioritizing talks focused on reopening the waterway and removing US maritime restrictions.

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