The initial agreement between the US and Iran reached on Sunday has already faced hurdles, amid Tehran's claims that it aims to control maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz as the war's victor, and Israel insisting that it would hold onto land seized in Lebanon as it battles Hezbollah.
After Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi confirmed in televised remarks that the framework deal put an "immediate end" to the war pending a "final agreement" after another 60 days of talks, Fars news agency stated that a legal framework governing navigation in the waters of the Persian Gulf would be established through cooperation between Iran and Oman.
US President Donald Trump initially declared on Sunday that the crucial waterway had been reopened with the US naval blockade lifted. He later backtracked, saying this was pending the agreement's signing in Switzerland on Friday.
The Strait of Hormuz is some 38 kilometres wide at its narrowest, meaning both Iran and Oman operate the waterway, which normally carries one-fifth of the world's oil and LNG shipments, as well as other cargo.
Tehran has previously stated it would introduce tolls on passing ships, implying it would collect transit fees together with Oman — a claim Muscat quickly rejected, stating that no fees can be legally imposed because the Strait of Hormuz is a natural, not man-made, passage.
