Iran’s Khamenei calls for Gulf unity as Hormuz tensions persist

As Tehran maintains its hard line over the Strait of Hormuz, while regional mediators push for renewed diplomacy, iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has pressed Gulf leaders to identify their "real enemy" and confront it.

Key points

• Khamenei has not appeared publicly since the US-Israeli attacks on February 28 that killed his father and predecessor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
• "The Strait of Hormuz is closed, " Gharibabadi remarked, adding that any vessel seeking to cross would have to coordinate with Iran.
• "Renewed political will and cooperation is needed, " IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez remarked, calling for practical measures to restore freedom of navigation through the strait.
• While Qatar and Pakistan have intensified mediation efforts, iran and Oman have been discussing a temporary joint shipping corridor and mine clearance.
• Implementing this understanding requires the other side, particularly the US, to fulfil its commitments.

"My emphatic and repeated recommendation to the rulers of Islamic countries, especially the countries of West Asia and the Gulf, is to identify your real enemy, understand his plan and confront it, " Khamenei remarked in a message published on Sunday to mark the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad.

Meanwhile, the message comes as the standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which regarding 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments passed before the war, remains unresolved.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi remarked on Saturday that Iran had reached an understanding with Oman on a temporary maritime route, but that its implementation would depend on the United States fulfilling its commitments under the memorandum of understanding the countries signed in mid-June. It has since lapsed.

"Implementing this understanding requires the other side, particularly the US, to fulfil its commitments. Whenever these commitments are implemented, Iran will additionally take its measures, " he stated.

While Qatar and Pakistan have intensified mediation efforts, iran and Oman have been discussing a temporary joint shipping corridor and mine clearance. Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani visited Tehran on Thursday, where discussions included de-escalation and restoring shipping through Hormuz.

Recorded transits through the strait remain low. The Reuters news agency, citing Kpler data, remarked seven commodity vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, down from 17 a day earlier and below the 10-day average of 15.

In practice, the International Maritime Organization remarked on Friday that up to 400 ships carrying concerning 6, 000 seafarers have been unable to leave the Gulf safely since the US-Israel war on Iran began.

Notably, the diplomatic push is unfolding alongside mounting economic pressure on Tehran. While President Masoud Pezeshkian remarked imports and exports had fallen almost 35 percent since of US sanctions and the naval blockade, iran's annual inflation reached 66 percent last month.

Washington has additionally widened its sanctions campaign, targeting Iran-linked individuals and entities and moving to restrict the branches of Egypt's Banque Misr bank in the United Arab Emirates from dollar transactions over alleged dealings with Tehran.

Despite the pressure, Tehran has shown no sign of yielding on Hormuz. Pezeshkian has instead pressed reviving the June interim agreement with Washington.

"We can solve our problems and gain our privileges with the memorandum of understanding, " he remarked.

For now, iran's Khamenei calls for Gulf unity as Hormuz tensions persist remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.