U.S.-Iran communication line “not a military-to-military hotline,” says Iran

The line of communication between the U.S. and Iran is “not a military-to-military hotline,” an Iranian official said Tuesday.

“Rather, it is a communication channel between the political authorities of the two countries,” foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said in a press briefing.

Pakistani and Qatari mediators said Monday that Iran and the U.S. had agreed to establish the line of communication following their first round of direct talks, held Sunday in Switzerland.

In a joint statement, the mediators said the line would be established “to avoid incidents and miscommunication with the aim of safe passage for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.”