By SCM International Desk I Wednesday, August 05, 2026
WASHINGTON — Iranian and Omani negotiators have reached a preliminary agreement on maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, but officials in Tehran emphasized on Wednesday that the accord will not automatically reopen the crucial oil corridor without sweeping concessions from the United States.
Speaking at a news conference in Tehran, Esmaeil Baghaei, a spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, stated that technical coordinates for a divided navigation route had been finalized with Muscat. However, Mr. Baghaei warned that the waterway remains unsafe for international shipping due to ongoing American military pressure.
“The factors making the Strait of Hormuz insecure still exist on the part of the United States, particularly the naval blockade and other aggressive actions against Iran and its interests,” Mr. Baghaei told reporters.
Iranian officials clarified that the strait—through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s petroleum transited prior to the outbreak of regional hostilities—will remain effectively closed until Washington fulfills three major demands: lifting its active naval blockade on Iranian Persian Gulf ports, releasing roughly $24 billion in frozen Iranian assets held in foreign banks, and terminating oil and energy sanctions that have paralyzed the country’s economy.
A Split Navigational Channel
Under the draft agreement worked out in Muscat, inbound commercial shipping entering the Persian Gulf would travel through a northern channel monitored by Iran, while outbound traffic would use a southern channel administered by Oman.
The framework also proposes a shared “service fee” levied on commercial vessels to fund maritime security and environmental protection—a provision the United States and several Western allies have vigorously opposed as an illegal toll on an international waterway.
The Iranian insistence on U.S. compliance underscores a growing disconnect between Tehran’s public posture and rhetoric coming from the White House. President Donald J. Trump told reporters on Tuesday that negotiations were progressing rapidly and suggested the strait could reopen within days.
However, Iranian diplomats denied holding direct discussions with Washington, framing the Oman talks as a bilateral arrangement intended to establish emergency transit protocols rather than a capitulation to American diplomatic terms.
The prolonged closure of the strait has sent shockwaves through global energy markets, driving crude prices higher and forcing international shipping conglomerates to reroute tankers around the Cape of Good Hope at immense financial cost.
For Iran, retaining operational oversight of shipping lanes while demanding an end to U.S. sanctions represents a critical point of leverage. Strategic analysts note that Tehran views its authority over the choke point as one of its primary defensive assets against Western economic containment.
“Whatever solution leaves Iran in control of the strait will be a very tough sell for Washington, but there is also no clear military solution to remove Iran’s geographic presence along the passage,” said Ali Vaez, Iran project director at the International Crisis Group. “The administration is weighing an unwinnable naval standoff against an unpalatable diplomatic compromise.”
Until the White House addresses Tehran’s demands regarding sanctions and asset transfers, maritime insurance firms and international operators remain hesitant to resume full transit through the narrow passage, keeping global markets on edge.
