Iran on Monday rejected any foreign role in clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz and said no talks with the United States were scheduled in the coming days, underscoring the uncertainty surrounding efforts to end the conflict in the Gulf.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi pushed back against comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, who said France and Oman were working with partners to clear mines from the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran, however, insisted that any such operation would be conducted exclusively by Iran.
"The situation is sensitive and complex. We strongly advise France not to complicate it further with its provocations," Gharibabadi said in a post on X.
The exchange came as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict remained uncertain despite mediation attempts by Pakistan and Oman.
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that no talks between Tehran and Washington were scheduled in the coming days.
The remarks appeared to contradict recent suggestions by US President Donald Trump that Iran had sought a meeting with American officials.
Baghaei said an Iranian technical delegation would travel to Qatar later this week, but stressed that the visit had no connection to any US officials who might also be in the Gulf state.
"Tehran has not started negotiations for a final deal as these require the implementation of certain points of the memorandum of understanding, which is Iran's priority at present," he said in a statement.
Iranian officials have repeatedly insisted that technical discussions on a broader settlement cannot begin until key provisions of the existing agreement are implemented.
Concerns over security in Gulf waters have also prompted precautionary measures from regional countries. Qatar on Monday advised a temporary suspension of sailing and fishing boats until further notice, although commercial shipping and vessels covered under international conventions were exempt.
The transport ministry said the precautionary measure also applied to jet skis and all other maritime craft. No reason was given for the move.
The announcement came a day after Doha said one of its nationals had died after suffering injuries from shrapnel linked to "military operations in the region" after his vessel went missing.
During the war that began on Feb. 28, Iran's attacks and threats disrupted the movement of cargo ships and oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, triggering a global energy crisis.
In recent days, Iran has twice attacked vessels in the strait, including a tanker carrying Qatari crude, despite efforts to reopen Oman's territorial waters to both inbound and outbound traffic from the Persian Gulf.
Those attacks prompted retaliatory US airstrikes and raised fresh concerns that negotiations aimed at formally ending the war could be derailed. Iran also launched drone and missile strikes targeting Bahrain and Kuwait on Sunday.
Against that backdrop, Iranian and Omani officials held talks in Oman on Monday focused on the Strait of Hormuz.
The narrow waterway, through which a significant share of the world's oil exports passes, has long been regarded as an international shipping route despite lying within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman.