Iran and Oman are close to reaching an agreement to reopen shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post on Tuesday.
Under the proposed arrangement, Iran’s achievement would be access to the strait through its Iranian side. During the interim period, work would begin to clear naval mines located in the middle of the strait, allowing the waterway to be fully reopened. Once the mines are cleared and the strait is reopened, renewed discussions would begin on a permanent solution.
The source said the Americans were “far more” flexible in their demands than the Omanis. Should Iran and Oman reach an agreement, it is expected to be acceptable to the US. “Iran conveyed a message: Any solution that we agree to and sign must also be approved by Washington,” the source said.
Iran seeks control over inbound Hormuz route, senior Iranian source says
A source involved in the talks told Reuters that the outbound lane would follow a route between Iran and Oman, with exit clearance granted through Oman after notifying Iran.
"Tehran is unlikely to change its position," the source added.
This agreement would also give Iran control over areas that were international waters before the war, officials told the New York Times on Monday, adding that the terms of the proposed agreement would lie heavily in Iran's favor.
The deal stipulates that no tolls will be charged, but there is a "service fee" to cover various environmental and staffing costs, Iranian officials told the NYT. The revenue from said fee would be divided equally between Iran and Oman, they noted.
However, a US official familiar with the negotiations told the NYT on Monday that Iran’s account was “not accurate.” The official said there would be no tolls and that any new routes or channels would be “temporary” and would not require Iran’s permission or approval.
Ali Vaez, deputy Middle East program director at the International Crisis Group, told the NYT that Iran sees leverage in the Strait of Hormuz as its only tangible achievement from the war. A deal with Oman has the potential to put Iran in a better place than it was before the current round of fighting, Vaez noted.
“[US President Donald] Trump’s options are between an unwinnable war and an unpalatable peace,” he told the NYT.
Trump says renewed US-Iran talks are Tehran's last chance to sign deal 'before decapitation'
This confusion follows an announcement by Trump that the US-Iran negotiations had been renewed, and a Monday Truth Social Post criticizing Iran’s leadership for being “unbelievably duplicitous” and accusing them of being dishonest regarding the status of US-Iran negotiations.
“They ask for a meeting… talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about,” Trump lamented on Truth Social.
He added that “nothing gets through to Iran, unless we want it to, and nothing will get through, unless a deal, or total surrender, is accomplished.”
Trump also disputed Iranian claims of controlling the Strait of Hormuz, asserting that the waterway is “already completely controlled by the United States Navy.”
Iran Foreign Ministry denies talks with US, says no meetings planned, despite Trump claims
Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Monday night that, despite Trump's claims, there are no ongoing talks between Iran and the United States and no upcoming meetings planned, per the Wall Street Journal.
However, the Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed that talks with Oman concerning the future of the Strait of Hormuz were continuing, and both Oman and Iran noted that there had been progress made over the last few days.
Control of the strait has been a main sticking point in resolving the US-Israel-Iran conflict
In late July, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran had rejected an Omani proposal for an equal division of transit routes between the two countries, saying such a plan did not address Tehran's security concerns until long-term regional stability is achieved.
Control of the strait, the narrow waterway between the Gulf and the Indian Ocean that is the main route for about a fifth of world oil supplies and other vital goods, has been a main sticking point in efforts to resolve the US-Israeli war on Iran.
It has been largely blocked since the start of the war in late February.
Goldie Katz, Shoshana Baker, Tzvi Jasper, and Reuters contributed to this report.