Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabad said that if Oman does not wish to establish a joint mechanism for managing the future of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will pursue the issue independently. He cited the Islamabad Memorandum, which stresses respect for the sovereignty of littoral states, implying that Iran retains sovereign rights in the area. Gharibabad also noted that the management of the Strait remains the responsibility of the littoral states and will not revert to its previous status.