Iran, Oman agree on details of Hormuz Strait's new entry, exit routes

Iran and Oman have agreed on the details of new entry and exit routes for the Strait of Hormuz and will brief Gulf countries on the outcome of their consultations at a regional meeting in Muscat on Monday, Iranian officials said on Saturday.

Citing a source close to Iran's negotiating team, the semi-official Tasnim news agency said that the understanding was reached after "intensive technical and diplomatic talks between Iran and Oman, which culminated in a final agreement in late August."

Under the understanding, the Gulf's entry route "lies entirely within Iran's territorial waters," and a portion of the exit route also falls "within Iranian territorial waters," the source said.

The source stressed that the route would operate under Iranian arrangements and the waterway's southern route will be closed once the new system becomes operational, noting that the United States had insisted that the southern route must be opened.

"The understanding in no way means that the Strait of Hormuz will be opened," the source said, adding that Iran has seven conditions for reopening the waterway and has conveyed them to the United States.

The source underlined that the waterway will remain closed unless those conditions are implemented, with reopening depending entirely on the U.S. behavior. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei announced on Friday that Gulf littoral states' foreign ministers are scheduled to meet in Oman on Monday to exchange views on regional issues, including the Iran-Oman talks on designating safe routes in the Strait of Hormuz.

Speaking to Al Jazeera on Saturday, Baghaei said the gathering would "hopefully" be attended by foreign ministers from Gulf states as well as Iran and Iraq.

"As part of the agenda, we are going to brief the delegations about the results of the Iran and Oman consultations regarding the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz," he said, adding that the two countries had conducted the consultations as "the two coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz."

Late last month, Iran and Oman said in a joint statement that they had exchanged views on a proposed phased framework that includes establishing a temporary joint shipping corridor in the strait.

Following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, Tehran restricted passage through the strategic waterway, while U.S. forces imposed a naval blockade targeting vessels traveling to or from Iranian ports.

The Strait of Hormuz, linking the Gulf with the Arabian Sea, is one of the world's most important routes for oil and gas shipments. Oman and Iran sit on opposite sides of the strait and have maintained consultations over maritime security and navigation in the strategic waterway.

Iran, Oman agree on details of Hormuz Strait's new entry, exit routes

India, heavily reliant on China for electronic components, is seeking to strengthen its own manufacturing capacity by adopting technologies from its largest trading partner as the BRICS summit opens with trade cooperation high on the agenda.

As the BRICS summit gets underway, boosting trade within the bloc is a key focus. This year, China has become India's largest trading partner, with electronics making up a significant share of that trade.

Pramod Yadav, director of AD Net, has been selling cables, mobile and laptop accessories, and monitoring cameras in New Delhi's Nehru Place, where for decades Indians have come to buy, repair and upgrade their technology, for more than 20 years.

He has witnessed a shift from loose, unbranded imports brought in through grey channels to finished products and components supplied directly by major manufacturing hubs in China.

While India's electronics manufacturing sector is seeing increased investment and ambition, significant gaps remain to be addressed.

"We need to focus more on things like molding machines and components, such as ICs (integrated circuits) and chips, right here in India. We should learn from China -- observing how they manufacture these products and understanding their technology, so that we can then advance this sector in India," said Yadav.

India imports more than 10 billion U.S. dollar worth of electronic components from China each year, spanning key categories such as displays, batteries, PCBs and camera modules.

China also remains India's largest source of integrated circuits, with imports rising nearly 64 percent year on year.

India's own semiconductor mission is racing to close that gap. But observers say a faster way to strengthen manufacturing in the long run would be to ease restrictions on the transfer of machinery and technical know-how.

"I think what it should be that we should allow the machinery and technology come in without any duty and any customs problems. So rather than people importing those products, they can manufacture here. It will create employment. Let technology import freely and rather encourage it," said Mohammed Saqib, president of India-China Economic and Cultural Council.

India seeks China technology skills to strengthen electronics manufacturing