Iran, Oman work to reopen Strait of Hormuz
The proposed plan routes ships into the Persian Gulf through Iranian waters and out via Omani-controlled waters to ease tensions.
- Iran and Oman are negotiating a temporary shipping arrangement: inbound via Iran, outbound via Oman.
- Any deal appears linked to the US lifting its naval blockade on Iranian ports.
- Trump claims “very good discussions” with Iran; Tehran denies direct US talks, citing only Oman-mediated talks.
- US officials say a Hormuz deal could be announced within days, but details on fees and control remain disputed.
- The strait carries about 20% of global oil and gas; it has been largely closed since fighting began in February.
- A June 17 MoU to reopen the strait collapsed after renewed attacks and the US blockade.
Cairo: Iran and Oman are inching toward a deal to reopen the disputed Strait of Hormuz and potentially help bring an end to the war.
Elsewhere, a mass funeral was held in Gaza City for more than 100 people killed in an Israeli strike early in the conflict. A memorial service was also held in Beirut, for victims of a 2020 port explosion, and Yemen’s Houthis claimed they fired at a Saudi Arabian airport.
Here is a look at the most important developments in the Middle East on Tuesday:
Trump warns Iran of hard hit if Hormuz Strait stays shut
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said the United States is “having very good discussions” with Iran. But Tehran denied it is having any talks with Washington.
“I mean they’re going to go quickly, one way or the other. It’s not very complex”, he said on Monday at the Oval Office.
“We’re talking about the Strait, the opening of the Strait, having it open, literally by tomorrow”, he said, but Iran has denied there were any talks with the US.
The contradictory claims leave the gateway to the world for 20 per cent of fossil fuels trapped in uncertainty.
Speaking a few hours before Trump, he said that except for Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who is on a pilgrimage to Iraq, all the negotiators were in Iran.
Baqaei did say that Iran was in consultations with Oman, which is across from it on the Strait, for what the Iranian news agency Tasnim described as a “temporary arrangement that would ensure maritime safety in the strategic waterway”.
He said that no other country was involved in Muscat-Tehran talks.
Trump said Iran was spooked by leaks about the planned attack, “very very hard, harder than any” since World War II and pleaded,”We want to talk. We want to talk about the Strait”.
unravelled within weeks after Iran attacked ships in the Strait and the US blockaded Iranian ports.
US officials suggest strait deal imminent
Senior US officials struck an optimistic tone on Tuesday, suggesting a deal to reopen the strait could be reached soon.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed there has been progress made in talks between Iran and Oman, “but not finality yet”.
The Strait of Hormuz is the crucial waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf through which a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas passed before the war. It has been effectively shut by Iran’s attacks on shipping since the start of the war in February.