Iran and Oman Reach In-Principle Agreement on Hormuz Passage

Iran and Oman have reached an agreement in principle on the Strait of Hormuz, resolving nearly all outstanding questions on maritime transit, Iran's deputy foreign minister said on August 6.

Gharibabadi said the two sides had settled the core disputes, including the routing map for how ships will enter and exit the waterway. He described the result as an understanding in principle on almost all the raised issues.

The deal is a bilateral arrangement. The United States has not been a direct party to the talks. Under the terms as reported, Iran would gain oversight authority over Gulf-bound ship transits, and US and Israeli ships could be excluded from passage.

Iran has made clear that the arrangement will not take effect immediately. Tehran has said Washington must first lift its blockade on Iranian ports before any agreement can be implemented. That condition has not been met.

Oman has acted as the go-between throughout the negotiations. No date has been given for a final agreement or a full reopening of the waterway.

MarineRadar tracked 362 unique devices monitoring the Hormuz region in the 48 hours before this report. That puts it among the most-watched maritime zones on the platform right now.