Iran signals Strait of Hormuz deal close, but ceasefire dispute lingers

International Iran signals Strait of Hormuz deal close, but ceasefire dispute lingers Comments: by Finya Swai - 08/08/26 11:31 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Finya Swai - 08/08/26 11:31 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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Iran announced Saturday that it is nearing an agreement with Oman over control of the Strait of Hormuz but warned that its reopening would depend on other conditions, including compensation from the U.S. to Iran.

The emerging deal would establish a new framework for managing traffic through the critical shipping corridor, where Iran has restricted traffic and targeted vessels in response to the U.S.-Israeli strikes that began the war on Feb. 28, 2026.

“Iran and Oman are close to an agreement on the legal framework and management of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday. “However, reopening the Strait depends on other conditions, including U.S. remedy for violations of the Islamabad understanding.”

Araghchi stated that the previously established designated routes for shipping vessels traveling through the strait were no longer acceptable to Iran.

Iran and Oman are instead discussing a temporary route while they work through the technical and legal issues surrounding a new system, Araghchi said, adding that naval and military talks between the two countries are also underway.

A U.S. official told Reuters on Friday that the Trump administration would lift its blockade of Iranian ports once a final deal restoring commercial shipping “without impediments” was announced.

“As always, U.S. actions will continue to be performance-based and tied to Iran’s implementation of its commitments,” the official said.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard, however, stressed Saturday that reopening the strait depended on a separate agreement with the U.S., and not simply a deal with Oman.

“Whenever the United States accepts Iran’s conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will certainly be reopened,” spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said, according to Reuters, citing Iran’s Tasnim news agency.

Dangers to vessels in the strait continued Saturday, when a ship was struck by an unknown projectile near Khasab, Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center.

The strike sparked a fire that was later extinguished, and the vessel and its crew were reported to be safe.

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