Hormuz Talks Advance as Iran Sets Conditions

Hormuz talks between Iran and Oman are advancing, but the Strait of Hormuz is still far from reopening. Oman said it had held positive discussions with Tehran over a plan to secure a shipping route through the waterway, even as Iranian officials made clear that any agreement would not restore full traffic immediately.

Both sides said on Saturday that the negotiations were making progress, though the timing of any final deal remained uncertain. Oman’s foreign ministry warned against attacks on shipping that could derail the effort. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks were in their final stage, but that reopening the strait was still “subject to other conditions.” The strait normally carries about a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas, making it one of the most important maritime chokepoints on earth.

Tehran has effectively blocked the waterway since the United States and Israel began attacking it in February. Recent discussions have centered on a possible arrangement between Iran and Oman for a new route through the strait, with both countries sharing responsibility for it. The hope is that such an arrangement could help resume shipping traffic safely, but Iranian officials have tied that prospect to a wider set of demands.

Araghchi said Iran wanted compensation from the United States for what Tehran called violations of a June deal that was meant to halt fighting and open the door to further negotiations. That memorandum of understanding quickly unraveled, and diplomatic talks fell apart with tit-for-tat attacks resuming only days later. Iran’s security chief, Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, told Tasnim that the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen until the United States “corrects” its behavior and meets six Iranian demands, including an end to threats against Iran, the removal of a naval blockade of Iranian ports, and the release of frozen Iranian assets.