Iran-Oman Hormuz Route Deal Nears as US Demands Free Passage

Global energy markets remain vulnerable to any prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas moved before recent disruptions. Iran and Oman have agreed on geographic coordinates for new inbound and outbound shipping lanes and are drafting a joint statement on temporary management of those lanes, according to statements from Iranian officials on Wednesday. The proposed arrangement would direct inbound traffic through waters closer to Iran and outbound traffic nearer to Oman, with service fees collected and shared by the two coastal states.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state media that the routes would operate for two to four months or longer and that existing temporary paths would close. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the talks cover technical, legal, security and environmental issues and that a final statement is in review, provided no third party interferes. Iranian officials have conditioned any reopening on the United States lifting its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

US officials have stated that any temporary arrangement must preserve freedom of navigation without Iranian approval requirements or tolls. President Trump told reporters this week that an announcement could come as soon as Wednesday or Thursday and reiterated opposition to fees, saying the United States would respond in kind to any charges. A US official familiar with the talks told The Associated Press that Washington seeks restoration of the prior system in which no party controls transit lanes.

Oman has served as mediator in earlier US-Iran contacts, and Gulf Cooperation Council members have endorsed the current channel, according to a Gulf government official. Eight major shipping associations wrote to UN and International Maritime Organization leaders warning that compulsory charges would violate international norms and raise energy costs worldwide. The International Maritime Organization has recorded 64 incidents and 17 deaths in the region since February, with at least 6,000 seafarers still stranded as of late July.

The June 17 US-Iran memorandum of understanding, which aimed to keep the strait open for 60 days in exchange for eased restrictions, collapsed over route disagreements. Iranian officials insist the current talks remain bilateral with Oman and do not constitute direct negotiations with Washington. US Central Command has maintained that the southern route through Omani waters stays open and that US forces have assisted more than 1,000 vessels in the past three months.

Analysts note that any final text must reconcile Iran’s insistence on coastal-state authority with US requirements for unrestricted commercial passage. No public agreement has been announced, and the timeline for implementation remains unclear.