Iran and Oman Nearing Strait of Hormuz Agreement Amid Trump Warnings and Stalled US Talks

Iran and Oman have successfully reached an understanding regarding a route map for vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz, though both nations are still working to finalize a comprehensive joint announcement, the Iranian government announced on Monday.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated that negotiations are pressing forward despite persistent delays, which he attributed to the inherent complexity of the talks and “destructive efforts” originating from certain quarters. He emphasized that Iran and Oman plan to release the deal as a unified package containing both the route map and a joint statement.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump issued a stern warning to Oman regarding any interference in his administration's ongoing initiatives involving Iran. In an interview with Fox News, President Trump stated, “If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb.” Additionally, he claimed that the United States maintains a back-channel for direct communication with officials in Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), though he maintained that he remains in “no hurry” to finalize an agreement with Tehran.

On Sunday, Axios reported that the Trump administration secretly enlisted Iraqi Kurdistan President Nechirvan Barzani to establish a back-channel with the IRGC amid stalled efforts to conclude the conflict. A source within President Barzani’s office verified to The National that he indeed acted as a back-channel connecting the US and the IRGC. However, Mr Baghaei refuted the existence of any back-channel discussions, dismissing the report as psychological warfare intended to sow discord within Iran’s decision-making bodies.

President Trump further reiterated on Monday that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remains the central objective of the ongoing conflict. These remarks coincided with the expiration of a 60-day deadline established by the US and Iran to secure a longer-term peace agreement, with neither side yielding on core issues or displaying a willingness to extend the negotiation window. Both governments have openly accused one another of violating the pact.

“The number one goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way, shape or form, a nuclear weapon,” President Trump declared in a post on Truth Social.

The 14-point agreement, initially negotiated in Islamabad and signed on June 17, was designed as an interim framework to halt the war and pave the way for discussions on a comprehensive nuclear treaty. On Monday, Iran contested the notion that the agreement imposed a binding 60-day limit for talks. “There is no such thing as a ‘60-day deadline’ in the text of the memorandum of understanding,” Mr Baghaei noted.

He asserted that the United States had violated the agreement “grossly and extensively,” which effectively halted talks from commencing in the weeks following its signing. “As a result, the discussion of the 60-day deadline has completely lost its relevance,” he added.

Mutual accusations of treaty breaches have escalated, with the US launching military strikes against Iran following the signing, while Iran has faced allegations of targeting oil tankers and disrupting navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. In tandem with the stalled diplomatic efforts, shipping activity through the strategic waterway slowed significantly over the weekend following recent tanker attacks, according to maritime data.

Ship-tracking data from Kpler indicated that only five commodity vessels transited the strait on Saturday, with zero vessels registered on Sunday, a sharp decline compared to the thirty-one vessels that passed through the previous weekend. Saturday's transits included an empty, very large crude carrier operating with its automatic identification system deactivated, alongside a large Indian-flagged gas carrier utilizing an Iranian-designated shipping lane. Furthermore, a small tanker transporting Iranian fuel oil was logged exiting the waterway.

Maritime traffic appeared nearly paralyzed after the UAE reported that three vessels operated by Adnoc came under attack while traversing the strait during the previous week. While some vessels may have slipped through undetected by disabling their transponders, current transit figures remain dramatically lower than the daily average of over 130 ships that navigated the strait prior to the war.