Iran and Oman Agree on Temporary Shipping Route in Strait of Hormuz Amid Stalled US Talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi greeted Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi in Tehran today, as top officials announced an agreement on a new temporary shipping route in the Strait of Hormuz. However, Iran insisted the waterway will remain closed until the United States fulfils its commitments under an interim peace deal signed in June.

The announcement by Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, followed high-level talks in Tehran to finalise a phased framework for managing the strait. Both coastal nations have been holding intermittent discussions regarding traffic through the strategic waterway, which handled a significant portion of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments prior to the US-Israel war on Tehran that began in February.

Gharibabadi stated on state television that the entry and part of the exit for the new route would pass through Iranian territorial waters, creating a transit corridor seven miles (11.3km) wide. He emphasized that the route is strictly temporary.

Earlier discussions between Abbas Araghchi and Badr Albusaidi also addressed mine clearance projects in the strait. Albusaidi expressed hope on X for a soon-to-be-announced corridor, noting that permanent solutions would follow in due course.

Technical talks are scheduled to develop long-term arrangements, including security services and information sharing.

The Strait of Hormuz became a critical flashpoint after Tehran closed the waterway in response to the US-Israel war, introducing a route through its territorial waters that it claimed was mined. Although an MoU was signed in June to end the conflict, disputes over transit corridors and subsequent attacks led to the collapse of the interim deal.

Meanwhile, passage remains hazardous, with a recent incident reported near Oman’s Ash Shishah by the United Kingdom’s maritime trade watchdog. Gharibabadi dismissed claims by US President Donald Trump regarding mine clearance and warned that US vessels would become targets if they entered the area. He reiterated that the US must fulfill sanctions relief and unfreeze Iranian assets under the MoU to resume diplomacy, while urging regional nations to resist new American pressure and sanctions announced by Donald Trump.