Iran on Sunday said the full restoration of security in the Strait of Hormuz depends on the United States ending its naval blockade and unlawful interference and threats.

“The process of fully restoring security in the Strait of Hormuz … depends on the cessation of unlawful actions, interference, threats, and the naval blockade imposed by the United States, as well as compensation for the violations of commitments that have occurred over the past two months,” Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has said in an interview, Press TV reported.

Baqaei said the insecurity in the strategic waterway was a “direct” result of illegal and aggressive measures by the United States and Israel.

Baqaei shares Homer Simpson meme after Rubio, Trump statements

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei has shared a Homer Simpson meme while reacting to statements by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Baqaei posted a statement by Rubio on Iranian spending, according to which the US official said: “Imagine an Iranian regime who, instead of spending billions of dollars supporting terrorist groups and building up all of these weapons, had invested that money into Iran, for the people of Iran.”

In the same post, he also shared a statement by Trump, who said: “It’s not possible for us to take care of daycare, Medicaid, Medicare, all these individual things … We have to take care of one thing: military protection.”

Baqaei posted the statements alongside a GIF showing Homer Simpson disappearing into bushes, implying a silent, awkward retreat from an embarrassing situation.

Araghchi says Oman talks, Hormuz reopening are separate issues

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said talks with Oman are a “completely separate” matter from efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, in comments to Shahrara News.

“Our negotiations with Oman are ongoing. That is a completely separate matter. It is a technical issue concerning the designation of maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz for the passage of ships,” he said, Al Jazeera reported.

“The routes that existed previously are no longer functional, so a new route needs to be defined. For now, we are designing a temporary route, which can then, at a later stage, be turned into a final route.”

Araghchi said an outcome could be reached soon, but stressed that the talks with Oman and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz are separate matters.

“We may reach an outcome soon, but I want to emphasise that these negotiations and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz are two separate issues. This is a technical negotiation concerning the designation of a maritime route.”

Iran says agreement reached with Oman on Strait of Hormuz shipping routes

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Saturday that Iran has reached an agreement with Oman on a shipping route map for the Strait of Hormuz after weeks of technical negotiations.

Baghaei told Defa Press that Iran and Oman, the two coastal states bordering the strategic waterway, began intensive negotiations three months ago following the signing of the June 18 memorandum of understanding to establish safe navigation routes.

“Despite US obstruction, the talks have made positive progress over the past three weeks, and an agreement has been reached on the shipping route map,” he said.

Baghaei said the plan was the result of coordination led by the Foreign Ministry with the participation of Iran’s defense, security and environmental authorities.

He added that the two sides were still negotiating outstanding issues, including a statement to be issued by Tehran and Muscat, noting that exchanges between the two countries would continue until the process was finalized.

Baghaei stressed that the Iran-Oman arrangement was an independent agreement between the two coastal states aimed at ensuring the safe passage of ships through the strait, while preserving the sovereignty of both countries.

He said, however, that the full restoration of security in the strait and the resumption of normal commercial shipping depended on an end to what he described as illegal US actions, military threats and the naval blockade, as well as compensation for US breaches of commitments in the last two months.

The talks are part of technical negotiations launched under the Iran-US memorandum of understanding, which tasked Tehran and Muscat with developing a new navigation framework for the Strait of Hormuz. While Iran and Oman have continued discussions on shipping routes, Tehran has repeatedly said any decision to reopen the strategic waterway remains contingent on the US fulfilling its obligations under the memorandum.