Iran rejected French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to cooperate on clearing mines from the Strait of Hormuz on Monday evening, warning Paris against intervening in one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi dismissed the bid to have a group of countries, including France and the U.K., work together to demine the waterway, arguing it violated the existing provisional peace agreement Iran signed with U.S. President Donald Trump.
“According to the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, demining is carried out solely by Iran and by no other country, and we fundamentally do not permit any such thing,” Gharibabadi wrote on X. Calling the situation “sensitive and complex,” he added: “We strongly advise France not to complicate it further with its provocations.”
The remarks were a direct response to Macron, who earlier on Monday said he had discussed the maritime mission with Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and agreed to safeguard shipping and guarantee “free and unconditional passage” through the waterway.
Tehran also cast doubt on the U.S.-Iran talks expected to take place in Doha this week.
Following an exchange of strikes over the weekend, Washington and Tehran agreed to halt attacks and resume talks on Monday. President Trump announced discussions would take place in Doha, but on Monday Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei insisted no negotiations with the United States were scheduled.
“We will not have any negotiation meetings at any level with the American side in the coming days,” he said.
The latest disagreement underscores how fragile the ceasefire remains. The June 17 agreement gave Washington and Tehran 60 days to implement a 14-point memorandum covering navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s nuclear program and negotiations toward a permanent truce, but both sides have repeatedly accused each other of violating its terms.