Iran and Oman Near Deal to Partially Reopen Strait of Hormuz

The Government of Iran and the Government of Oman are negotiating a temporary agreement to establish designated shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. The proposed framework would create a 60-day interim route to restore commercial shipping disrupted by a five-month war between the U.S. and Iran. Under the lapped arrangement, inbound vessels would use Iranian waters and outbound ships would use Omani waters. However, Tehran has signaled that any temporary reopening would exclude U.S. and Israeli vessels and may involve transit fees for hostile nations.

While President Donald Trump has expressed optimism that a deal is imminent and the war will end soon, Iranian officials have contested the extent of U.S. involvement, stating that Washington is not part of the bilateral talks with Oman. Iran's Supreme National Security Council has maintained that a full reopening remains contingent on U.S. compliance with several demands, including lifting naval blockades and sanctions, withdrawing military forces, and paying war reparations for violations of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.

Regional volatility persists as negotiations continue. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has declared the U.S. military defeated in the Persian Gulf, while Houthi rebels have launched drone attacks on Saudi Aramco refineries in Jazan. Additionally, Iran targeted an Abu Dhabi National Oil Company vessel with missiles in the strait, causing at least one fatality. In response to the shifting security landscape, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan signed the Mecca Agreement, a mutual defense pact designed to provide regional security as U.S. military presence declines.