Iran and Oman have moved closer to an agreement on reopening the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, with both sides agreeing on the geographical coordinates of a proposed safe navigation corridor, even as conflicting messages over possible U.S.-Iran negotiations continue to cloud prospects for a broader diplomatic breakthrough.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Wednesday that Tehran and Muscat had agreed on the coordinates of the proposed shipping route through the strategic waterway, "provided that certain third parties do not obstruct the process."
The remarks came as senior Gulf officials said there was about a 50-50 chance that Iran and Oman could conclude an agreement by Friday after more than three weeks of negotiations aimed at restoring shipping through the world's most important oil transit route.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the talks had produced broad agreement on inbound and outbound shipping routes and described the negotiations as being in an advanced stage. However, he cautioned that even if an agreement is reached, it would not automatically result in the reopening of the strait.
The proposed arrangement would give Iran control over vessels entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a senior Iranian source and two regional officials familiar with the negotiations, representing one of Tehran's biggest gains since the conflict with the United States escalated five months ago.
However, significant hurdles remain.
A senior Gulf official familiar with the negotiations said one major complication is that Iran's delegation does not include representatives of the powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), whose approval would be required before any agreement can be implemented.
Iranian media blames Washington for slowing progress
Semi-official Tasnim news agency quoted an informed source as saying that "the main reason for the delay in reaching an agreement with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz is US interference and Trump's threats."
Another semi-official agency, Fars, accused some US officials of sending "mixed signals" and attempting, either directly or through regional partners, to disrupt the negotiations. It reiterated that Iran's discussions are solely with Oman and are focused on establishing a middle shipping corridor that safeguards Iran's sovereign rights while addressing Oman's security concerns.
Conflicting messages over US-Iran talks
The negotiations have also been accompanied by growing confusion over whether Washington and Tehran are engaged in parallel diplomacy.
US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that an agreement could be reached "tomorrow or the next day," adding that "a lot of progress has been made" and claiming that Iranian officials had reached out seeking talks. "They called me and they said, 'Please let's talk,'" Trump said.
But he also renewed his threat to launch military strikes against Iran should diplomacy fail.
Tehran has categorically rejected Trump's characterisation, insisting there are no direct talks with Washington and that all current negotiations are strictly bilateral discussions with Oman concerning navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The mixed messaging has added uncertainty over whether the maritime negotiations could evolve into broader diplomatic engagement between Tehran and Washington.
US Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the complexity of any future negotiations, saying discussions with Iran would be "messy" because of what he described as the country's fractured decision-making structure.
"The Iranians are extraordinarily difficult people," Vance told Fox News on Wednesday. "It's going to take some time to get there, but where we ultimately land is that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon and the United States will be in a stronger position."
Regional tensions remain high
Despite progress in the Oman talks, tensions across the region remain elevated.
Meanwhile, a Reuters report said Iran had warned Gulf states that any renewed US military strike would trigger retaliation against critical energy infrastructure across the region, according to five sources familiar with the diplomatic exchanges.
The warnings were delivered through a series of high-level contacts after Trump threatened on July 28 to target Iran's energy infrastructure.
According to the sources, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi spoke with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar, as well as Pakistan's army chief, urging regional partners to press Washington to avoid renewed military action.
Vessel targeted in Gulf of Aden
Meanwhile, Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi movement said it had targeted the Saudi oil tanker Daisy in the Gulf of Aden with a ballistic missile, claiming the vessel altered course after the attack. The claim could not be independently verified.
US CENTCOM said the southern route through the Strait of Hormuz remains free and open for all commercial vessels seeking to transit the international waterway. Over the past three months, US forces have assisted more than 1,000 vessels in successfully transiting the strait despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, and these transits continue.
