Iran and Oman Near Deal on Hormuz Shipping Lanes as Washington and Tehran Give Conflicting Accounts of Talks
The Facts
- Iran and Oman are nearing an agreement to restart commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, under which vessels entering the Persian Gulf would use a channel controlled by Iran near its coast and departing vessels a channel near Oman.
- Trump said Monday from the Oval Office that negotiations with Iran were "going on right now" and called them a "last chance" for Tehran to sign a deal, saying he was pursuing talks at the request of Iran, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, among others.
- Iran's foreign ministry denied that negotiations with the United States were taking place or planned, with spokesman Esmail Baghai saying Tehran was negotiating with Oman to secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Trump said he called off a planned large-scale military operation against Iran over the weekend after requests from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states to give diplomacy more time.
- Trump described a two-phase sequence in which the first stage is the reopening of the strait — which he said could happen "by tomorrow" — and the second is the denuclearization of Iran, repeating that Tehran would never be allowed a nuclear weapon.
- The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that a merchant vessel was hit by an "unknown projectile" early Tuesday about 37 kilometers northeast of Al Khasab, Oman; UKMTO did not identify the ship or report injuries or damage.
- Oil prices fell sharply on Monday on news of the Iran-Oman discussions, with WTI dropping more than 6% to below $80 a barrel and Brent falling more than 5% to about $82.80.
- The war between the United States and Iran is in its fifth month, having begun on Feb. 28, and Trump has set multiple deadlines and ultimatums for Tehran since it started.
- It remains unresolved whether the strait will return to its pre-war status as a fully open international waterway; Tehran has repeatedly rejected a return to pre-war conditions, and officials and analysts say a negotiated arrangement would leave Iran with control it did not previously have.
Context
Why does the Strait of Hormuz matter so much?
The strait is a chokepoint through which a significant share of the world's oil and gas trade passes, making it one of the most important energy routes globally infobae,T-online.de. Traffic through the area has been reduced during the war, and repeated attacks on shipping have kept the corridor fragile infobae. Movement in the negotiations was enough to push crude prices down more than 5% in a single session Corriere della Sera.
What terms are reportedly in the emerging Iran-Oman arrangement?
According to Iranian and American officials cited by The New York Times, inbound ships would transit a channel controlled by Iran close to its coast while outbound ships would use a channel near Oman NYT. Iranian officials say no tolls would be charged, but the accord includes a "service fee" covering environmental impact, security for cargo ships and tankers, and staffing, with revenues split equally between Iran and Oman NYT. Iran has described the arrangement in terms of an "understanding" over a temporary route to let commercial shipping resume Aol,Corriere della Sera.
Why are Washington and Tehran describing the talks so differently?
Trump says talks are underway at Iran's request, while Iran says it is negotiating only with Oman and has no plans to meet US negotiators Hindustan Times,SAPO. After Tehran's denial, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iran's leadership was "unbelievably duplicitous" and said pressure would continue until Iran agreed to a deal or accepted what he called "total surrender" Aol,India News, Breakin…. The contradictory accounts have left the actual state of diplomacy unclear infobae,Hindustan Times.
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
- Where Left and Right agree
- Five months of war, repeated deadlines, and a merchant ship hit off Al Khasab hours after Gulf capitals — not Washington — produced the only effective restraint on escalation.
- Where Left and Right split
- A president announcing talks Tehran says don't exist, or world shipping transiting a lane Iran controls along its own coast.
How left and right read it
Trump announced from the Oval Office that talks with Iran were "going on right now," a "last chance"; hours later Tehran said no such talks exist, only negotiations with Oman over the strait. Meanwhile a merchant vessel took an unknown projectile off Al Khasab. Five months of war, multiple deadlines, and the only restraint that worked came from Gulf states asking him to wait. Improvisation is not a policy.
“Donald Trump sounded much like an angry, jilted lover ranting on social media on Monday morning as he complained about Iranian officials denying that talks were underway with the United States for another ceasefire agreement.” — The Independent
Under the emerging arrangement, inbound vessels would transit a channel Iran controls along its own coast — a chokepoint of world commerce held at Tehran's discretion. Gulf capitals asked Trump to call off a planned large-scale operation to buy diplomacy time, and hours later a merchant ship took an unknown projectile off Al Khasab. Five months, many deadlines. Passage must be open water, not a lane leased from Tehran.
“But the prolonged holdoff on serious strikes even though the diplomatic dance never goes anywhere only prolongs the misery -- for the region and the world.” — New York Post
The receipts — 91 sources
Wire services (1)
Independent coverage (90)
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