Iran in talks with Oman over shipping route but not US, says Tehran

Lead

Iran's foreign minister says negotiations with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz are entering their "final stages," as Tehran insists the vital waterway will never return to its pre-war status. The comments from Abbas Araghchi were reported by Al Jazeera, which noted he made the remarks in a Telegram post on Sunday, describing the talks as "on the way to being finalised."

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Al Jazeera reported that Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran and Muscat were close to reaching a deal on a new maritime route through Hormuz, separate from existing corridors. Baghaei said in an interview with state television: "We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides – neither the northern route nor the southern route – but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security."

According to The Guardian, Iran has been in discussion with Oman about creating a new temporary route through the strait that would allow commercial shipping to resume. The Guardian reported that Iran is claiming full sovereignty over the strait and has been making demands over the routes and future management of the strait, including the possibility of charging fees in return for providing ships with maritime services.

Key Claims

One proposal, as reported by The Guardian, is to create an Omani-Iranian joint company that would provide maritime services that insurance companies used to offer at high costs, but at lower prices, with preferential tariffs for some countries.

Unlocking a mutually acceptable route through the strait is the precondition to unlocking all the other agreements laid out in the memorandum of understanding, the ceasefire document signed on 18 June, according to The Guardian. Disagreements about the memorandum's obligations have led to a resumption of the war, which has spread to the Red Sea and Iraq.

Al Jazeera noted that Iran has effectively maintained control over the strait since the outbreak of war. The outlet also reported that a June ceasefire collapsed within weeks over a dispute about shipping routes through Hormuz, with fighting reigniting in July.

The Guardian reported that Donald Trump claimed the US and Israel had agreed to halt new attacks on Iran, provided a deal to end the months-long conflict is reached rapidly. Trump said he called off strikes after Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, urged diplomacy, marking what is thought to be the 12th time Trump has called off threatened strikes.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key waterway through which about 20 percent of global oil consumption is normally shipped, according to Al Jazeera. The same outlet quoted Baghaei as saying, "an understanding between Iran and Oman on a new route has nothing to do with whether the Strait of Hormuz is reopened or remains closed," while blaming the US for the closure.

Details of the new route remain unclear, and Oman has not commented on the matter. The Guardian reported that last week, Iran's deputy foreign minister said Iran was demanding ships take a northern route close to Iran, while rejecting the traffic being divided evenly between the two routes.