Iran and Oman Near Deal on Hormuz Shipping, Iran Sets Conditions for U.S. Cooperation
Iran and Oman are close to finalising a framework for commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran says the agreement will not reopen the waterway unless the United States meets a series of demands.
Iranian lawmakers are reviewing a draft bill that would regulate traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, imposing fines of up to 20% of cargo value for violations and charging navigation fees in Iranian rials for vessels allowed to pass. The draft, originally targeting ships from the United States, Israel and other hostile states, has been broadened to include any cargo linked to entities Iran says have damaged it, pending compensation.
Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state media that Iran and Oman have been negotiating a new commercial-shipping framework for more than three weeks. The proposal would create separate inbound and outbound corridors, with part of the traffic routed through Iranian waters and part through Omani waters, a shift from the decades-old pattern that kept most commercial ships in Omani waters. The arrangement would be provisional, lasting two to four months initially, and would require approval by senior Iranian leadership.
Gharibabadi said the deal would not automatically reopen the strait; Iran seeks several guarantees from the United States, including the end of a naval blockade on Iranian ports, the lifting of re-imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil sector, the resumption of talks over frozen Iranian assets, and U.S. action to stabilise the situation in Lebanon as outlined in a June memorandum of understanding. He added that the new Iran-Oman model reflects “effective sovereignty” over the waterway and is not a continuation of the previous 60-day arrangement.
Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad-Reza Ghalibaf accused President Donald Trump of “theater diplomacy” and “bullying,” urging the United States to honour its commitments. The United States, meanwhile, has denied any direct negotiations with Iran on the Hormuz issue, though officials say mediators are working to de-escalate tensions.
Separately, U.S. officials have warned that the Pentagon’s stockpile of interceptor missiles for the THAAD system is low, a point cited by analysts as potentially emboldening Tehran. Saudi Arabia has also warned of possible coordinated attacks by Iraqi militias and Yemen’s Houthi forces, citing intelligence reports of Iranian guidance.
The outcome of the Iran-Oman talks is seen as critical for the reopening of the world’s most important oil chokepoint, but the final decision rests on whether the United States meets Tehran’s outlined conditions.