Iran says it has agreed shipping route through Strait of Hormuz with Oman

Iran’s foreign ministry has announced that Tehran and Oman have reached an agreement on a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the deal was in its final stages, but did not provide further details. He cautioned that the agreement alone would not ensure safe navigation, citing what he described as the ongoing US naval blockade of Iranian ports as the main factor undermining security. Neither the United States nor Oman has commented on the proposal.

The announcement comes after months of disruptions in the strait, a critical passage for roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas. Iran has largely blocked the waterway since the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February, leading to sharp fluctuations in global oil prices. On Tuesday, US President Donald Trump warned that Iran would be 'hit very hard' unless the strait reopened soon. Senior US officials have said that talks have progressed and shipments could potentially resume later this week, but Iranian authorities have repeatedly insisted that they are not negotiating with Washington.

Baqaei said the 'geographical coordinates of the route' had been agreed with Oman, according to Iran’s official Irna news agency. However, he argued that the factors making the strait insecure still exist because of the United States, including the naval blockade and other aggressive actions against Iran. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi later said the new route would be temporary and could remain open for two to four months, without elaborating.

Since the conflict began, traffic through the strait has declined sharply. Iran has said all vessels must obtain prior clearance, and it has attacked ships that ignored the order. Among the main sticking points between Tehran and Washington is Iran’s threat to impose a fee on ships wishing to pass through the strait. On Wednesday, Iranian officials did not say whether that issue was part of the talks with Oman.

The development follows a failed June memorandum of understanding between Iran and the US, which had aimed to stop fighting, reopen the strait and reach a deal to end the war within 60 days. That agreement collapsed within days, with mutual attacks resuming. Meanwhile, the US maintains a naval blockade of Iranian ports in the region, and Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis have imposed a separate blockade on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea ports since 20 July.