Iran has revealed that it is close to finalizing an agreement with Oman on a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical passage for about a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated the deal is "in the final stages" but cautioned that this alone would not ensure safe navigation due to ongoing security concerns linked to the US blockade of Iran's ports.

Since attacks by the US and Israel on Iran in late February, Tehran has largely blocked the Strait of Hormuz. Iran insists that all passage through the strait must be cleared in advance and has attacked vessels that ignored this directive.

In June, Iran and the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at halting hostilities, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and reaching a peace agreement within 60 days. Despite this, Iran maintains it is not negotiating directly with the US.

On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump warned that Iran would be "hit very hard" if the strait did not reopen "very soon." His remarks followed reports from senior US officials that talks had progressed enough to potentially resume shipments later this week.

According to Iran's official Irna news agency, Baqaei said, "The factors making the Strait of Hormuz insecure still exist on the part of the United States, particularly the naval blockade and other aggressive and threatening actions against Iran and its interests."

Sources