Iran rebuts claims of US Hormuz communication channel
Shafaq News- Tehran
Iran denied on Friday the establishment of direct communication channel with the United Stated to prevent incidents in the Strait of Hormuz from escalating into military confrontation.
Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force noted that official statements and positions are released only through the force's official platforms, accusing "enemy fake news" outlets of publishing “fabricated content aimed at undermining Iran's national unity.”
US President Donald Trump accused Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement by launching attack drones at commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, including a cargo ship reportedly struck off the coast of Oman on Thursday.
Citing sources, Iranian Press TV reported earlier today that Tehran and Washington established a direct communication channel, which mediator included in the final statement following the June 22 talks in Switzerland to implement Article 5 of the memorandum of understanding signed in Islamabad.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that "safe passage through Hormuz cannot be guaranteed under ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes, or decision-making mechanisms that disregard Iran's role as a littoral state."
عبور ایمن در تنگه هرمز با ترتیبات مبهم، مسیرهای موازی یا تصمیمسازی خارج از ملاحظات ایران، به عنوان دولت ساحلی، تضمین نمیشود. هر چارچوب معتبر باید بر هماهنگی با ایران و مفاد بند پنج یادداشت تفاهم اسلام آباد استوار باشد. در غیر اینصورت، نتیجه، تعلیق مسیر تعیین شده موازی می شود.
— Gharibabadi (@Gharibabadi) June 26, 2026
Meanwhile, Iranian media outlets reported that the United States handed over 22 Iranian crew members from the oil tanker MT Lenore to Pakistani authorities after the vessel had been detained in the Indian Ocean. According to the reports, the crew members were transferred to the Iranian consulate in Karachi.
