Iran says Strait of Hormuz deal with Oman close to final stage

WASHINGTON, United States — TEHRAN — Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said negotiations with Oman on new transit rules for commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have reached an advanced stage. In remarks to the official IRNA news agency, Gharibabadi said any agreement on the strait must be reached between Tehran and Muscat alone, and that Iran is not conducting any talks on the issue with Washington. Gharibabadi said the arrangement would not amount to a full reopening of the strait but would create a new transit model different from the regulations applied over the past six decades. Under the proposed framework, a significant share of vessels would be able to pass through Iranian territorial waters, and the closure of other temporary routes currently used in the area would depend on the implementation of the new rules. The Iranian official attributed recent tensions in the strait to U.S. actions and said Tehran has received messages suggesting Washington is prepared to return to previous commitments, though he stressed these are unrelated to the Iran-Oman track. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, carrying a major share of global oil, energy and international trade shipments. No further details on the timeline or signing of the agreement were immediately available.