Iran says it has reached the final stages of an agreement with Oman on a shipping route through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the geographical coordinates of the proposed route had been agreed with Oman, although he provided no further details.
He warned, however, that the agreement would not guarantee safe navigation through the strait, arguing that security remained threatened by what Tehran described as a US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
“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,” Baqaei said, according to Iran’s official IRNA news agency.
The United States and Oman have not publicly commented on the proposed arrangement.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi later said the proposed route would be temporary and could remain operational for between two and four months, without providing further details.
The development comes after months of disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments normally pass.
Since the conflict began, traffic through the strait has declined sharply, with Iran saying vessels must receive clearance before passing through the waterway.
US President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that Iran would be “hit very hard” if the strait was not reopened “very soon.”
His comments followed statements from senior US officials that negotiations had made progress towards potentially allowing shipments to resume later this week.
Iran, however, has maintained that it is not negotiating directly with the United States and has no plans to do so.
The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz has remained a central issue in discussions involving Tehran, Washington and mediators seeking to de-escalate the conflict.
One major disagreement has been over proposed fees for vessels using the waterway.
According to a senior Iranian official cited by Reuters, Tehran is seeking fees equivalent to between five and seven per cent of the value of cargoes carried by ships passing through the strait. Oman is reportedly discussing fees of around three per cent, while Washington wants vessels to cross without paying any fee.
Reuters also reported that the proposed arrangement would give Iran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
The uncertainty surrounding the waterway has contributed to sharp fluctuations in energy prices. Brent crude was down 0.3 per cent at $79.24 a barrel in Asian trading on Thursday.
The strait’s disruption has heightened concerns over global energy supplies because of its role as a major route for oil and LNG exports.
In June, Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the fighting, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and reaching a broader agreement to end the conflict within 60 days.
The arrangement subsequently collapsed, with diplomatic efforts breaking down and attacks resuming days after the memorandum was signed.
The United States has maintained a naval blockade of Iranian ports in the region, while Iran-backed Houthi forces have imposed another blockade affecting Saudi ports in the Red Sea since 20 July.
The wider conflict began on 28 February when the United States and Israel launched extensive strikes on Iran. Tehran responded with attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, while the Strait of Hormuz was effectively closed.
Iran’s then-Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in the initial strikes and was succeeded by his son, Mojtaba Khamenei.
The younger Khamenei was also wounded during the opening attacks and has remained largely out of public view.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Wednesday that communication with the supreme leader was currently “difficult,” although he described Khamenei’s presence as an important source of strength for the government.
Pezeshkian said he had nevertheless been able to hold productive meetings with Khamenei and described him as displaying “very sound logic.”
Erizia Rubyjeana
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