Iran said Sunday that it was closing in on a deal with Oman to establish new shipping lanes through Hormuz, but repeated that the strategic waterway would reopen only after the U.S. met Tehran's other conditions.
A U.S. official had said Friday that an agreement between Iran and Oman was close and could soon reopen the strait, which carried a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before Iran blocked it in response to U.S. and Israeli attacks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday an agreement on the strait that lies between the two countries was in the "final stages" but reiterated comments made Saturday that it would not reopen unless other conditions were met.
The agreement would set out the new shipping lanes to be used once the U.S. fulfils those conditions and the strait is reopened, Iran's Mehr news agency quoted him as saying.
Iran and the U.S. are not engaged in talks and Tehran will not start them as long as Washington breaches an interim deal signed in June, Araghchi said, adding that messages are being exchanged via intermediaries.
