TEHRAN/WASHINGTON/ISLAMABAD/LONDON/CAIRO/JERUSALEM – Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said Iran has made no decision yet on the resumption of negotiations with the United States, the state-run IRIB news agency reported on Saturday.

In an interview, Araghchi said messages are being exchanged between the two countries through mediators – Qatar and Pakistan – "but this does not mean negotiations at all."

The peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two sides in June has announced the war's end, he noted, stressing that the US has "violated" the MoU and clashes started again.

Negotiations are underway between Iran and Oman to designate a new route for the safe passage of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, he said. "And we are currently designing a temporary route, which will turn into a permanent one in the next stages."

"We may reach a conclusion soon," he added. However, he said that the reopening of the strait hinges on the fulfillment of other conditions, "to which the United States must be committed."

On June 18, Iran and the US signed the MoU on ending the war in the region on all fronts, including Lebanon.

Under the MoU, the two countries were scheduled to hold negotiations within a period of 60 days, which will end on Monday, to reach a final agreement, but the talks' fate has been hanging in the balance following the escalation between the two countries during the previous month.

Trump says to declare Hormuz a US territory

US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he would soon declare the Strait of Hormuz a US territory.

"After we finish defeating Iran – which is being very badly defeated – pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," he said during a rally in Garden City, New York. 

The Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, is one of the world's most important energy shipping chokepoints.

Hormuz to open ‘only under Iran's command’

A senior Iranian diplomat said on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz will be closed and opened only under Iran's command.

Kazem Gharibabadi, Iranian deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, made the remarks on X in response to a claim by US President Donald Trump, who said on Friday that he would soon declare the strait a US territory.

"The Strait of Hormuz can be captured neither with a tweet and aircraft carriers nor by issuing orders and a stump speech. Iran is neither afraid of threats nor intimidated by displays of power," he said.

"This strait will only be closed and opened under Iran's command.”

Iran tightened its grip on the strait on Feb 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.

Two tankers struck by drones in Strait of Hormuz

The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Friday that two tankers were struck by unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, sustaining minor damage with all crew reported safe.

According to two UKMTO advisories, military authorities reported that the tankers were hit by UAVs while conducting outbound transit of the strait.

The advisories said both vessels sustained only minor damage. All crew members were reported safe, and no environmental impact has been reported.

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Islamabad MoU

During a meeting with US Charge d'Affaires Natalie A Baker on Friday, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar stressed the importance of implementing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding signed on June 18.

He said that implementation of the MoU "in letter and spirit" was the only way forward, reaffirming Pakistan's commitment to regional peace and security while safeguarding its national interests, according to a statement issued by Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting focused on Pakistan-US bilateral cooperation and recent regional developments.

Egyptian, Turkish, Saudi foreign ministers meet

In another development, the foreign ministers of Egypt, Turkiye and Saudi Arabia met in the Egyptian coastal city of El Alamein to discuss regional developments, the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, his Turkish counterpart Hakan Fidan and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud held a "fraternal meeting" on Thursday, the ministry said in a statement.

The trilateral meeting came amid continued coordination among Egypt, Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan through the regional R-4 mechanism, which promotes consultation and coordination among the four countries on efforts to ease tensions and promote security and stability in the region.

US military planes linked to unusual delays at Israel's airport

Separately, US military refueling aircraft stationed at Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport contributed to hours-long flight delays on Friday, the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) said.

Delays of several hours were reported for takeoffs and landings at the airport, with an unusual backlog of about 90 flights putting heavy pressure on airport operations, the IAA said in a statement.

The authority said one of the main factors behind the delays was the presence of US military refueling planes, which has reduced the number of available aircraft parking spots, limited the airport's operational flexibility and put additional pressure on ground services.

READ MORE: US deploying new aircraft carrier to Mideast amid Iran conflict strain

US military aircraft have been stationed at the Israeli airport since late February, when the US-Israeli offensive against Iran began.