Iran said it had reached an agreement with Oman on a proposed route for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a potential step toward a reopening of the critical waterway for energy supplies.
A joint statement from Tehran and Muscat is under review and in the final drafting stage, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told reporters on Wednesday, according to a post on Telegram. Negotiations between the two countries are “forward-moving” and a deal would be struck “if certain third parties do not obstruct this process,” he said.
Iran and Oman have been in discussions for several days about a management plan for the Strait of Hormuz, which has emerged as the focal point of the ongoing war between the US and the Islamic Republic. Baghaei didn’t mention any role for Washington, except to say the closure of the strait was a result of attacks by the US and Israel.
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The White House didn’t respond to a request for comment on the announcement. President Donald Trump said late Tuesday that a deal on the Strait of Hormuz is imminent. He has repeatedly claimed diplomatic breakthroughs in the past, only for a lasting agreement to prove elusive.
