Iran and Oman have reached a potential agreement to manage ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz that would prohibit military vessels from passing through the strategic waterway. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister, stated on Tuesday that Tehran will not allow military ships to transit the Strait under the deal currently being negotiated with Oman.
The agreement follows meetings between top diplomats from both countries to discuss the management of commercial shipping traffic in the vital passage, which has remained largely closed nearly six months after the Iran war began. Gharibabadi explained that commercial shipping entering the Persian Gulf would pass through Iranian waters, while the outbound route would traverse partly through Iranian and partly through Omani waters. He added that these routes are temporary, with Iran and Oman planning to discuss a permanent maritime traffic plan within 30 to 60 days.
The development comes amid opposition from the US administration. The Trump administration has informed Oman that it opposes parts of the yet-to-be-announced deal, particularly the joint Iranian and Omani management of the exit route from the Strait, a passage critical to global oil and natural gas supplies. US President Donald Trump, in an interview with Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera, expressed confidence that the United States is "winning very big" as the conflict with Iran approaches six months.
Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, in a letter to the United Nations, urged the world body to condemn recent US actions aimed at cutting off Tehran from the global economy. He described the US economic measures as an "economic onslaught" deliberately targeting Iranian civilians by depriving them of access to essential goods and services.
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