Iran says route plan with Oman nears completion, but Strait of Hormuz reopening hinges on US
Key Takeaways
- •Iran and Oman have agreed on a proposed route for ships using the Strait of Hormuz and are finalizing a joint statement.
- •Iranian officials said reopening the strait still depends on the United States ending its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
- •Esmaeil Baqaei said the route’s coordinates have been settled, but the passage would not automatically be safe for all vessels.
- •Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz carried about one-fifth of global oil and LNG exports, making the dispute important for energy markets.
- •Iran said it wants ships to use a route along its coast, while some vessels have instead taken a southern route near Oman.
World
Iran says route plan with Oman nears completion, but Strait of Hormuz reopening hinges on US
Published Aug. 6, 2026 1:16 a.m. KST
Updated Aug. 6, 2026 2:20 a.m. KST
TEHRAN — Iran and Oman have agreed on a route for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz and are making final arrangements to jointly manage the waterway, Iran's foreign ministry said Wednesday.
However, official sources briefing Iranian media said any reopening of the strait would depend on the United States fulfilling what Tehran sees as its commitment to end its own naval blockade of Iran's ports.
Iran has held de facto control of the strategic waterway, a critical artery for global energy trade, since the United States and Israel launched their war against the country on Feb. 28.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said Tehran is eager to strike a deal to reopen the route to shipping, but Iran denies that and says it will instead make arrangements with its neighbor across the strait, Oman.
"The geographical coordinates of the route envisaged by the two sides have been agreed upon and, if certain third parties do not obstruct the process, the joint statement of the two countries, containing the main considerations and points of agreement, is also in the final review and drafting stage," spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said, according to state news agency IRNA.
Baqaei told journalists that talks with Oman were moving forward, but said that even if an understanding were reached, it would not mean the strait had become safe for all passing vessels.
"The factors making the Strait of Hormuz insecure still exist on the part of the United States, particularly the naval blockade and other aggressive and threatening actions against Iran and its interests," he said.
Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz carried around a fifth of the world's oil and LNG exports, and prices have repeatedly surged since the dispute over the waterway erupted, adding economic and political pressure on Washington. That makes any change in access or oversight relevant well beyond the region, since the route remains central to seaborne energy flows.
After imposing an effective blockade on the strait, Iran has insisted ships take a route that hugs the Iranian coast.
Many vessels have instead chosen a southern route close to Oman on the opposite side of the strait, and some have occasionally come under fire.
Iran wants to control the strait and charge tolls, powers it did not exercise before the war, a development that would be strongly opposed by the United States.
In what has become a regular pattern, Trump last week threatened to hit Iran "very hard," potentially with attacks against civilian infrastructure, only to pull back and hint that a deal was near.
Iran's foreign ministry, however, denied that negotiations were taking place with Washington.
