Iran reports major progress with Oman on Strait of Hormuz navigation

Iran and Oman have announced significant progress in talks on managing navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, as Tehran and Muscat seek a temporary agreement on shipping routes through the strategic waterway.

Araqchi, in a phone call with his Japanese counterpart, said discussions between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz had achieved major progress, according to a statement from Iran’s foreign ministry.

The two countries, which border the strait, have been discussing the future of maritime traffic for weeks, after Tehran announced advances toward a deal on temporary arrangements for vessel passage.

Iranian forces have restricted navigation in the strait since the outbreak of war with the United States on February 28, while Washington has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Tehran has insisted that navigation will not return to pre-war conditions.

Iran maintains that ships wishing to transit the strait must use a northern route along its coast, rejecting the southern route proposed by Oman.

Previously, Iran and Oman had hinted at the possibility of charging a "service fee" for vessels passing through the strait, a move opposed by several parties, including the United States and other Gulf states.

US President Donald Trump said in recent days that American forces have helped facilitate the passage of "about 30 ships a night" through the strait.

In response, Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said Sunday that Washington tries each night to assist five or six ships in crossing, adding that these vessels "are usually targeted."

Iranian officials have recently stated that an agreement with Oman could be signed "in the coming days," but stressed that the strait will not fully reopen until the United States meets Tehran’s demands, including lifting sanctions on the oil sector, releasing frozen Iranian assets abroad, and ending the naval blockade of ports.