Reopening the Strait of Hormuz would almost certainly require at least one side — and possibly both — to soften key positions at the negotiating table.
CAIRO, Egypt — Iran said Wednesday that talks with Oman over the future of the Strait of Hormuz have reached the “final stage” of drafting, while U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested an announcement could come as soon as this week. If completed, the arrangement could restore movement through one of the world’s most vital shipping routes, reduce strain on the global economy and potentially create a path toward ending the war.
Any breakthrough, however, appears likely to hinge on whether Washington agrees to lift its blockade of Iranian ports. The Trump administration has previously rejected any settlement that would effectively formalize Iran’s control over the strait — a concession that would mark a significant setback for the United States and a sharp departure from longstanding international norms governing open waterways.
Tehran, for its part, has maintained that it must retain some authority over the strategic passage and has made clear it does not intend to restore the Strait of Hormuz to its prewar status as a fully open international waterway.
The United States, joined by Israel, began the war on Feb. 28, pointing to objectives that included removing Tehran’s leadership and dismantling Iran’s nuclear program. Those aims remain unmet, and the conflict has increasingly narrowed into a struggle over the strait, where Iran’s claim of control and repeated attacks on commercial shipping have brought traffic nearly to a standstill.
The shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz — once a corridor for roughly one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas — has sent fuel and consumer prices higher, rattling markets and deepening economic anxiety worldwide. Trump is also facing growing political pressure to wind down a deeply unpopular conflict as U.S. congressional elections approach.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the Oman-mediated agreement is in its “final stage” and that a joint statement would follow “if certain parties do not obstruct this process,” a remark widely seen as directed at the United States.
Regional officials tell AP negotiators have finalized a draft
Two regional officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday that Iranian and Omani negotiators have completed a draft agreement to reopen the strait and are now awaiting final approval from Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. Khamenei is believed to have been injured during the opening strikes of the war and has not appeared publicly since.
The officials, who were briefed on the negotiations, portrayed the potential deal as a temporary solution to the dispute over the strait. They said it is tied to an agreement reached between the U.S. and Iran in June that aimed at ending the fighting and reopening the waterway but ultimately collapsed.
The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks, said the potential deal will pave the way for the U.S. and Iran to resume negotiations on Tehran’s nuclear program.
Earlier, they had said the potential agreement would have ships enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through a route controlled by Oman. Service fees would be charged for providing security and preserving the maritime environment, the officials said.
The U.S. has said it is strongly opposed to any arrangement that would see Iran charge fees.
Trump said a deal to reopen the strait is close
Trump was asked on Tuesday evening by reporters about a report on the Axios news site that an announcement on the strait could be made on Wednesday.
“It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day,” Trump said. “A lot of progress has been made.”
Vice President JD Vance acknowledged Wednesday that it can seem like the U.S. is not making progress in Iran, describing the effort to end the war as “messy” and that “it’s going to take some time”
Vance said in an interview that aired in the evening on Fox News Channel that the Iranians are “extraordinarily difficult people” and that efforts to try to resolve the war sometimes require moving backward before moving forward.
Also on Wednesday, oil prices initially eased but later inched up. Brent crude, the international standard, was around $80 per barrel — still well below the levels it hit at the height of the conflict.
In recent days, Trump has alternately threatened massive strikes and voiced support for diplomatic efforts.
Attacks on regional shipping continue
The Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed Wednesday they had fired ballistic missiles toward a Saudi oil tanker on the Red Sea off the Saudi port of Yanbu, without providing evidence. There was no immediate comment from Saudi Arabia.
A vessel sailing in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen reported a loud explosion that happened in close proximity, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center said Wednesday, adding that the crew was safe. The Houthis claimed to have fired a ballistic missile at another Saudi oil tanker.
A recent escalation between the rebels and Saudi Arabia threatens to reignite Yemen’s civil war, which pitted the Houthis against a Saudi-led coalition supporting the country’s government.
In July, the Houthis announced they were closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that leads to the Red Sea for Saudi-linked shipping. That puts additional pressure on international shipping since the Red Sea became a key alternative route for Saudi oil exports during the war.
Israel and Hezbollah’s ceasefire increasingly shaky
The shaky ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah grew more volatile Wednesday, as the Israeli military issued an evacuation warning to residents of the southern Lebanese village of Mansouri — the first such warning in weeks.
Later, the Israeli military said it had begun conducting “precise strikes” in southern Lebanon in response to what it described as “a blatant violation of the ceasefire” that had largely held since June 20.
The escalation came as Lebanese and Israeli negotiators met in Rome for a second day to discuss implementation of a deal under which Israeli forces are supposed to withdraw from areas they are occupying in southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
A State Department official said the talks in Rome ended early “due to events on the ground” but could continue on Thursday. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the diplomacy, said the discussions “were extremely productive.”
Becatoros reported from Athens, Greece, and Superville from Rancho Palos Verdes, California. Aamer Madhani, Fatima Hussein, Matthew Lee and Michelle L. Price in Washington and Claire Galofaro in Louisville, Kentucky, contributed.
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