Iran says Hormuz shipping route coordinates agreed with Oman

Iran said on Wednesday that it had agreed with Oman on the geographical coordinates of a proposed commercial shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, although several parts of the arrangement remained unresolved.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said a joint statement setting out the main terms was undergoing final review and drafting.

“The geographical coordinates of the route envisaged by the two sides have been agreed,” Baghaei said, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency.

He described the negotiations as “professional” and “moving forward”, but said publication of the statement depended on unspecified third parties not obstructing the process.

Baghaei also cautioned that an agreement with Oman would not, by itself, make the waterway safe for passing ships. Tehran says the situation cannot change substantially while the United States maintains its naval blockade of Iranian ports and continues military action against Iran.

US President Donald Trump threatened further attacks if the strait was not reopened soon.

“The strait is going to be open very soon, or they’re going to get hit very hard and then the strait’s going to be open,” Trump told Fox News on Tuesday.

Speaking separately to reporters in California, Trump said negotiations had made progress and suggested an agreement could be reached within days.

Iran has disputed Washington’s account of the diplomatic contacts. Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran had received messages indicating that the United States was prepared to return to commitments contained in a June memorandum, but said no direct US-Iranian talks had taken place in recent days.

A senior Iranian source and two regional officials told Reuters that the proposal would give Tehran authority over ships entering the Gulf. They said negotiators had yet to agree on how Iran’s role in outbound traffic would be defined and whether vessels would pay fees.

The United States has previously opposed Iranian control over navigation through the strait. Before the war began in February, commercial ships used internationally recognised traffic lanes without paying Iran or Oman for passage.

Oman and Iran established a joint working group in June to discuss the future administration of navigation, maritime services and associated costs. Both countries said at the time that any arrangement should respect their sovereign rights while preserving the strait as a secure and open international waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz carried about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies before the conflict disrupted shipping. Gulf crude and condensate exports remained about 40% below pre-war levels in July, according to shipping data cited by Reuters.

Oil prices rose modestly on Thursday as traders awaited further details. Baghaei said the joint statement remained in the final drafting stage, with no confirmed timetable announced for its publication or the start of traffic along the proposed route.