🔻Reuters: Proposed Iran-Oman deal would give Tehran control over ships entering the Persian Gulf

An Iranian senior source and two regional officials told Reuters that a proposed deal between Iran and Oman to help end Iran’s five-month war with the United States would allow Tehran to control the entry of ships into the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz—an advantage described as one of the biggest concessions being discussed for Iran in these negotiations.

The United States has not yet commented on this proposal. Donald Trump said that an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz is close, but U.S. officials have previously repeatedly emphasized that they will not agree to Iran’s control over access to this important energy-transfer route.

Reuters says that if an agreement is finalized that would grant Iran authority over ship traffic in the strait, the war that the United States and Israel began in February would lead to a major shift in the regional balance of power in Tehran’s favor. Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz was open to all ships without charging tolls.

Within the framework of regional diplomatic efforts, Iran and Oman have held bilateral talks regarding the Strait of Hormuz, whose northern and southern approaches lie in the waters of the two countries. Iran has reported “significant progress” in these talks and says that the ships’ round-trip route will pass through Iranian waters.