Iran working to finalize Hormuz agreement with Oman, and other news from the Middle East

Iran and Oman Advance Toward Joint Statement on Strait of Hormuz Transit Routes

Iran stated on Monday that it has reached an understanding with Oman on a transit route map for commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and is preparing a joint statement to formalize the arrangement. The 60-day period established for negotiations between the United States and Iran concluded without an agreement or announced extension. Iranian Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran that an understanding exists on the map of the transit route. He added that talks had proceeded more slowly than anticipated but that both sides still intend to complete the package consisting of the map and the joint statement.

Details previously discussed indicate that the proposed arrangement would direct inbound vessels along a corridor nearer to Iran and outbound vessels along a corridor nearer to Oman. No fees or tolls would apply during the interim period. The United States has required an acceptable mechanism for reopening the strait before lifting its restrictions on Iranian ports. It remains undetermined whether the current proposal satisfies those requirements. Iran closed the strait to commercial traffic after attacks conducted by Israel and the United States on February 28. Prior to the closure, the waterway carried roughly one-fifth of globally traded oil supplies. Maritime tracking data recorded 65 incidents involving vessels in the strait during the period leading to the closure, and benchmark oil prices increased by 6 percent in the immediate aftermath.

Baghaei noted the deliberate pace of the Oman discussions while reiterating the plan to finalize both elements together. The expiration of the 60-day negotiating window occurred with the two sides maintaining their prior positions on core issues. No statements from either government indicated plans to extend the timeframe.

Kushner Holds Talks in Israel on Gaza Roadmap

U.S. Mideast negotiator Jared Kushner met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the day following discussions with Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt. The meetings addressed a 15-point roadmap intended to advance implementation of the existing Gaza truce. Hamas has stated its acceptance of the roadmap, which includes provisions for disarmament, and has called on mediators and the U.S.-created Board of Peace to require Israeli signature. Israeli officials have maintained that full disarmament by Hamas must precede any withdrawal of Israeli forces from the territory. Under the roadmap, Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza. Israeli troops currently control approximately 60 percent of the strip. Netanyahu has previously indicated the possibility of further advances.

Drone Incidents Reported in Northern Iraq

Iraq’s regional counterterrorism service reported two drone attacks in the northern Kurdish region. One device targeted the office of Masoud Barzani, prime minister of the Kurdistan Regional Government, and the second struck the residence of a senior regional intelligence official. No injuries occurred, and damage assessments were not immediately released. The service stated that the drones originated from the direction of the Iranian border. No group claimed responsibility.

Since the start of the conflict between the United States and Iran, Iranian forces and Iraqi groups aligned with Iran have conducted multiple strikes on U.S. facilities and on bases used by Iranian Kurdish opposition organizations inside Iraq. Direct attacks on regional government buildings had not been reported previously in this period. Barzani described the incidents on social media as a dangerous escalation and a direct threat to the security and stability of the Kurdistan Region. U.S. forces stationed in the Kurdish region have begun withdrawing in accordance with an agreement between Washington and Baghdad that sets a September 30 deadline for the end of the U.S. military presence in Iraq.

The sequence of events reflects continued diplomatic activity around the Strait of Hormuz alongside the conclusion of the fixed negotiation period and separate security incidents in Iraq. Further statements from the involved governments are expected in the coming days.