Iran's deputy parliament speaker said the Caspian Sea Convention will be submitted to Iran's National Security Council for review and that parliament will carefully evaluate whether the pact adequately protects national interests. He said the Caspian Sea is as strategically important to Iran as the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf or the Gulf of Oman and that, for ecological, economic and national-security reasons, its status is non‑negotiable; the rights and interests of all Caspian littoral

Iran's deputy parliament speaker said the Caspian Sea Convention will be submitted to Iran's National Security Council for review and that parliament will carefully evaluate whether the pact adequately protects national interests. He said the Caspian Sea is as strategically important to Iran as the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf or the Gulf of Oman and that, for ecological, economic and national-security reasons, its status is non‑negotiable; the rights and interests of all Caspian littoral states must be protected.