Tehran and Muscat have reached a preliminary understanding on the geographic boundaries of a new passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but Iranian officials cautioned that the arrangement alone would not secure the waterway or guarantee its reopening.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Iran and Oman have agreed on the geographic coordinates of a proposed commercial shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz and are preparing a joint statement outlining the preliminary arrangement, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Wednesday.
The developing plan would give Tehran authority over vessels entering the Persian Gulf through the strait, according to a senior Iranian source and two regional officials. Such an arrangement would represent one of the largest concessions made to Iran during negotiations over restoring traffic through the strategically important waterway.
Baghaei cautioned that an agreement defining the route would not independently guarantee maritime security in the strait, indicating that broader political and operational disputes remain unresolved.
He characterized the discussions between Tehran and Muscat as “professional” and “moving forward.”
“The two sides had reached a mutual understanding on the geographical parameters of the route under discussion,” Baghaei said.
Iranian and Omani officials were completing a joint announcement setting out the principal terms and considerations agreed upon during the negotiations. Baghaei said the statement could be finalized unless outside governments or other parties attempted to obstruct the process.
If “some third parties do not obstruct the process,” the joint statement containing the main considerations and central points of understanding is in the final stages of review and drafting, Baghaei said.
The preliminary agreement marks progress in negotiations over maritime access through Hormuz, but officials familiar with the talks disputed President Donald Trump’s assertion that a final deal reopening the strait was imminent.
The sources said significant details still must be negotiated before commercial shipping can fully resume. Those unresolved matters include the security arrangements governing the route and the terms under which vessels would operate while passing through the waterway.
The proposed structure would place ships entering the Gulf under Iranian control, increasing Tehran’s influence over a passage central to international energy shipments and global commerce.
Baghaei’s comments indicated that Iran and Oman have settled the physical location of the route but have not completed a broader agreement capable of ensuring safe navigation.
The negotiations therefore remain at an intermediate stage, with the geographic framework largely settled but critical security and implementation provisions still under discussion.
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