Tehran’s Hormuz strategy seen as a ‘bargaining chip’ by regional powers

Pezeshkian’s call during his UNGA address on countries in the region to resolve disputes without US interference is “ironic coming from a country that attacked the Gulf countries not only with narratives but with missiles, as well”, says Mohamed al-Hashemi, the executive director of the Middle East Insights Institute.

He told Al Jazeera that “those statements are important”.

“Qatar, in particular, has been a negotiator and we did a lot of things even during the peak of our disagreements, but I think it takes two to tango.”

Al-Hashemi said that the regional meeting in Oman was postponed earlier this month due to “the Iranian statement that sought to maintain the new status quo, where they keep using the Strait of Hormuz as a bargaining chip, rather than an international passage”.

“What Qataris and others in the region are doing currently is to find a common ground that we can start with. We need an agreement. The MoU was important for its time to manifest and reflect good intentions", reports AL Jazeera.