TEHRAN/WASHINGTON: Iran announced on Sunday that it is close to finalising an agreement with Oman on a new navigation route through the Strait of Hormuz, hours after the United States suspended plans for major military strikes to allow diplomatic efforts to continue.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told state television that Tehran and Muscat were nearing an understanding on a mutually acceptable route through the strategic waterway.
“We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides — neither the northern route nor the southern route — but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security,” he said.
Baqaei stressed that any agreement with Oman would not amount to reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
A day earlier, US President Donald Trump said Washington and Israel had decided to postpone further military action against Iran, stating that the “perimeter” of a deal had been established.
The conflict between Iran and the US has continued since February 28, when American and Israeli forces launched surprise strikes on Iranian targets. Since then, intermittent diplomatic efforts have temporarily eased tensions despite recurring hostilities.
Earlier, Iran’s official IRNA news agency quoted Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as saying that negotiations with Oman over the maritime route were “on track for finalisation and were going through their final stages”, without offering additional details.
Oman has not yet commented publicly on the reported progress.
The resumption of military strikes last month had fuelled concerns that the conflict could intensify further. Trump had warned that the US could strike Iran “very hard” and was reportedly considering attacks on Iranian energy infrastructure, while American diplomatic missions across the region remained on heightened alert.
According to maritime analytics firm Kpler, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz declined significantly on Friday.
However, Trump appeared to soften his stance following a series of diplomatic engagements, including a conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
According to Saudi Arabia’s state news agency, the crown prince emphasised the “necessity of prioritising dialogue to de-escalate tensions” across the Middle East during the call. A White House official confirmed the conversation but did not disclose further details.
Trump later said, “we have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the perimeters of a deal has been agreed to”.
“Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL,” Trump posted on his Truth Social platform.
It remained unclear what exactly Trump meant regarding the status of negotiations, while Iranian media denied that Tehran had requested the US to suspend its planned strikes.
Efforts to revive Islamabad MoU
Referring to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the United States, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the agreement should serve as the foundation of the country’s future foreign policy.
In a post on X, he wrote, “The memorandum [of understanding] that was signed is the result of the collective wisdom of Shura Council’s members, and all members are in sympathy with it.”
“I believe this memorandum will be the centre of gravity of our foreign relations in the future. We must strive to compel the enemy to remain committed to what it has signed.”
“The security of the country, the region, and our allies will be enhanced by this memorandum,” President Pezeshkian added.
His remarks followed comments by Iranian lawmaker Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesperson for the parliament’s national security commission, who said mediators were working to revive the Islamabad memorandum agreed upon in June.
“They know that the main issue and, in fact, the key to the matter right now is the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, so yes, there is an exchange of views,” Ghashghavi said.
OPEC+ approves output increase
Separately, OPEC+ approved an increase in oil production quotas of around 188,000 barrels per day from September, completing the phased rollback of one layer of voluntary production cuts.
Despite monthly production increases throughout the year, export disruptions linked to conflicts involving Iran and Ukraine, as well as supply issues affecting Russia and Kazakhstan, have limited the impact of the additional output on global markets.
The September adjustment marks the completion of the gradual reversal of a voluntary 1.65 million barrels per day production cut first agreed by OPEC+ members in 2023.
