US official: sanctions on Strait of Hormuz to be lifted once deal is reached

WASHINGTON, United States — WASHINGTON — A US official said Friday evening that progress has been made in talks between Oman and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz and that an agreement on the strategic waterway could be reached soon. The official told Reuters that the United States would lift its blockade as soon as an accord is announced to resume commercial shipping through the strait. According to the same official, Washington's next steps will depend on the extent to which Iran honors its commitments. A diplomat from one of the mediating countries told the news agency that Iranian negotiators are awaiting final approval from Iran's Supreme National Security Council on a compromise regarding navigation through the strait. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday that talks with Iran are "currently ongoing." The US military command has described the corridor near the Omani coast of the strait as "free and open" to commercial vessels, while Tehran, one of two countries bordering the waterway, has reiterated its claim to a role in regulating navigation through it.