TEHRAN/MUSCAT – The Strait of Hormuz could be heading for cautious reopening as Iran and Oman move to establish temporary maritime corridor for commercial vessels.
Tehran and Muscat are still negotiating high-stakes deal over Hormuz, with questions over control of its waters and the distribution of revenues yet to be fully settled despite earlier claims that an agreement had been reached.
A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran and Muscat were continuing discussions to finalise the remaining details. The latest development comes after Iranian media reported that both sides had reached an understanding on the maritime shares of Iran and Oman and their respective portions of revenue generated from the strategic waterway.
IRGC spokesman, quoted by Tasnim, said agreements had been reached concerning each country’s share of the strait’s waters and revenues.
While the revenue and jurisdiction issues remain under discussion, Iran and Oman are moving ahead with plans for a temporary shipping corridor designed to restore the movement of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had been constructive, raising hopes that a temporary navigation arrangement could soon be announced.
The proposed mechanism would focus on restoring safe maritime traffic, while negotiations over the permanent future of the strait would continue later. Al-Busaidi linked the future arrangement to Article 5 of the Islamabad Memorandum, the interim US-Iran understanding reached in June.
Oman said the framework could include systems for exchanging information, coordinating vessel traffic and providing navigation and security services.
Regional countries bordering the Gulf waters could also be invited to participate in discussions on the long-term management of the strategic passage.
Araghchi said regional cooperation was at the heart of the discussions, highlighting the proposed corridor, joint mine-clearing operations and future management of Hormuz as key areas under consideration.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told Iranian state television, according to the Associated Press, that ships entering the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman would cross Iranian waters. Outbound vessels, he said, could use routes through either Iranian or Omani waters.
Tehran and Muscat are expected to spend between 30 and 60 days negotiating a permanent and sustainable route, according to Gharibabadi.
The developments come as Hormuz remains caught in the fallout from the prolonged confrontation between Iran and the United States. Iran severely restricted shipping through the waterway during the conflict, while the Trump administration sought to control the passage through a naval blockade.
Trump also claimed that the Strait of Hormuz was US territory, a move that further intensified the dispute. Iran has maintained that it would restore normal passage once the US blockade is withdrawn.
The waterway was reopened at various points following ceasefires and interim peace arrangements, including the US-Iran memorandum signed in June, but those understandings later collapsed as hostilities resumed.
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