U.S. Official Reports Progress on Iran-Oman Deal to Reopen Strait of Hormuz

Washington, United States. A U.S. official said on Friday that Iran and Oman had made progress towards an agreement that could soon reopen the Strait of Hormuz and restore disrupted oil exports after five months of war between the United States and Iran.

The official, who spoke anonymously, said Washington expected an agreement between the two countries on opposite sides of the strategic waterway, allowing normal oil traffic to resume.

Potential agreement

The official said an Iran-Oman agreement on control of the strait was regarded as essential to a broader peace deal.

“There is progress between Oman and Iran on the strait, and we expect a deal soon,” the official told Reuters. “Once the deal is announced to restore commercial shipping without impediments, the United States will lift the blockade of Iranian ports.”

The official added that U.S. measures would remain performance-based and linked to Iran implementing its commitments.

Impact on oil shipping

Before the United States and Israel launched the war on Iran on February 28, around one in five barrels of oil consumed worldwide passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has cited the hostilities in imposing tolls on oil tankers and firing on vessels attempting to cross the strait without permission. The disruption to oil shipments has pushed energy prices higher and contributed to inflation.

Regional attacks

The Trump administration has repeatedly indicated in recent weeks that an agreement to reopen the strait could be close, while Iran has denied that negotiations were taking place. It remained unclear whether the latest negotiations would produce a lasting arrangement.

Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have coincided with increased attacks by its Yemen-based Houthi allies on vessels at another oil chokepoint between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said on Friday that 15 of its vessels had been hit in what it described as unprovoked attacks while crossing the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict began. The company said one crew member had been killed and 20 others wounded.