Iranian foreign affairs minister says Strait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war status Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi says the Strait of Hormuz has become one of Tehran’s “most important deterrent tools”, warning that the strategic waterway will not return to its pre-war status. Araghchi said the administration of the Strait of Hormuz would no longer operate as it did before the war, adding that the waterway falls “under the sovereignty of Iran and Oman”. He said vessels had passed through the strait freely for years, but that arrangement would now change, with Tehran set to charge for services.