Iran Says Strait of Hormuz Deal Is Close but Alone Will Not Reopen Waterway

PUKMEDIA

The Strait of Hormuz.

Iran said on Saturday that it was close to reaching an agreement with Oman over the management of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but stressed that the deal alone would not be enough to fully reopen the strategic waterway.

Reuters reported that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran and Muscat were "very close" to agreeing on a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. However, he said the resumption of normal maritime traffic would depend on additional conditions, including compensation from the United States to Iran.

The previous shipping traffic separation scheme through the strait was no longer acceptable to Tehran, he said, adding that Iran was discussing a temporary route with Oman while technical and legal issues surrounding a ⁠permanent route were resolved.

An agreement between Iran and Oman over the strategic waterway is widely regarded as a key step towards a broader settlement aimed at ending the conflict that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran on 28 February.

Iran has responded to the U.S. attacks by targeting U.S. bases in Gulf states and Jordan, and shipping in the narrow strait, which carried a fifth of the world's oil and gas shipments before the war.

The UAE said on Saturday that Iran had attacked a carrier affiliated with its state oil company with a missile as it transited the Strait of Hormuz, with no injuries reported, in the latest escalation in attacks on shipping there.

In recent weeks, the Trump administration has repeatedly indicated that an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be imminent. However, Iranian officials have consistently denied that formal negotiations are taking place, leaving uncertainty over whether the latest round of diplomatic contacts will result in a durable agreement.

"There is progress between Oman and Iran on the strait, and we expect a deal soon," a U.S. official told Reuters on Friday. "Once the deal is announced to restore commercial shipping without impediments, the United States will lift the blockade of Iranian ports."

"As always, U.S. actions will ‌continue to ⁠be performance-based and tied to Iran’s implementation of its commitments," the official said.



PUKMEDIA