TEHRAN, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Sunday that negotiations between Iran and Oman on the Strait of Hormuz are in their final stages, the official news agency IRNA reported.

File photo: IC

Araghchi said during a cabinet meeting that the negotiations have progressed and are on the path of being finalized.

Elaborating on the Iran-Oman talks in an interview with state-run IRIB TV on Sunday, Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stressed that reaching an agreement between the two countries is not related to the waterway's reopening or continued closure.

Baghaei said Iran and Oman are working to designate a "new route" in the strait within a traffic separation scheme format that can ensure both sides' sovereign rights as well as Iran's national interests and security.

Tehran tightened its grip on the strait after the United States and Israel launched joint strikes against Iran on Feb. 28.

The U.S. military launched multiple waves of strikes against Iranian targets last month, saying they were in response to Iranian attacks on vessels in the strait and aimed at "degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping."

Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. military bases and facilities in the region.