Oman, Iran reach agreement to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Oman has agreed to the framework of a deal with Iran to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the global crude oil export route that Washington and Tehran have been wrestling to control since the war began, two Middle East diplomats with knowledge of the negotiations told MS NOW on Thursday.
The diplomats declined to describe the details of the temporary agreement or what issues remain unresolved. But an Iranian government official linked to the deal told MS NOW on Thursday morning that it will establish new shipping routes by allowing commercial vessels to enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through a route controlled by Oman.
The agreement, according to the Iranian official, does not include the collection of tolls from commercial shipping vessels seeking safe passage through the waterway, which Iran has previously sought. The proposal is a “temporary agreement” that would lay the foundation for Washington and Tehran to call a new ceasefire and resume the nuclear negotiations that began in mid-June but collapsed after retaliatory strikes by both sides across the region. One of the attacks killed four American service members in Jordan.
The United Nations International Maritime Organization and the U.S. will be involved in the official announcement of the agreement, according to the Iranian official. Another Gulf government official with knowledge of the agreement also told MS NOW that the arrangement has been endorsed by the members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Officials have not said when the agreement would be announced.
Whether the U.S. will support the deal on how the strait is managed, however, will depend on the final details. A U.S. official said Washington will only support a temporary deal that reopens the strait with no impediments and no fees.
“Any temporary routes will be without any impediments — meaning no approvals or permissions and no tolls or charges,” a U.S. official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk about the deal, told MS NOW. “The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway, and no party controls the lanes or the ability to transit through them.”
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Sydney Carruth is a breaking news reporter covering national politics and policy for MS NOW. You can send her tips from a non-work device on Signal at SydneyCarruth.46 or follow her work on X and Bluesky.
Inzamam Rashid is a MS NOW contributor and Monocle’s Gulf Correspondent based in Dubai. He has previously reported for Sky News and the BBC
David Rohde is the senior national security reporter for MS NOW and a two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting. Previously he was the senior executive editor for national security and law for NBC News.
Ian Sherwood is the director of international newsgathering for MS NOW, a former executive editor for NBC News and a former deputy Washington bureau chief for the BBC.
Soorin Kim is a White House producer with MS NOW.
