Iran and the United States said Wednesday that an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be close, raising hopes of easing pressure on the global economy and helping end the war.
Iran said it was in the “final stage” of drafting an agreement with Oman over the strategic waterway, while US President Donald Trump said a deal could be announced within days.
However, any agreement is likely to depend on the United States lifting its blockade of Iranian ports. The Trump administration has previously rejected any arrangement that would strengthen Iran’s control over the strait, which would represent a major setback for Washington and depart from international norms.
Iran, meanwhile, has insisted on retaining some control over the waterway, saying it will not return to being an open international waterway as it was before the war.
The United States and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, citing several objectives, including removing Iran’s government and ending its nuclear program. Neither goal has been achieved, and the conflict has increasingly centered on the Strait of Hormuz as Iran’s attempts to assert control and attacks on shipping have brought maritime traffic to a near standstill.
The closure of the strait, through which about one-fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas previously passed, has pushed up fuel and basic goods prices and disrupted the global economy. Trump is also facing growing pressure to end the unpopular war ahead of US congressional elections.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said the agreement with Oman was in its “final stage” and that a joint statement would be issued “if certain parties do not obstruct this process,” apparently referring to the United States.
Regional officials say draft deal finalized
Iranian and Omani negotiators have finalized a draft agreement to reopen the strait and are awaiting final approval from Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, two regional officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Khamenei is believed to have been wounded in the opening strikes of the war and has not appeared in public since then.
The officials, who were briefed on the negotiations, described the possible agreement as a temporary solution to the dispute over the strait. They said it is linked to an agreement reached between the United States and Iran in June that sought to end the fighting and reopen the waterway but eventually collapsed.
They said the potential deal could pave the way for Washington and Tehran to resume negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
Earlier, the officials said the proposed arrangement would allow ships to enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and leave through an Omani-controlled route. Service fees would be charged for security and protection of the maritime environment.
The United States has said it strongly opposes any arrangement that would allow Iran to charge such fees.
Trump says deal could come soon
Trump was asked Tuesday evening about an Axios report that a deal on the strait could be announced Wednesday.
“It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day,” Trump told reporters. “A lot of progress has been made.”
Vice President JD Vance acknowledged Wednesday that the US effort to resolve the conflict may appear slow, describing the process as “messy” and saying it would take time.
In an interview aired Wednesday evening on Fox News Channel, Vance said the Iranians were “extraordinarily difficult people” and that diplomatic efforts sometimes require moving backward before making progress.
Oil prices initially declined Wednesday before edging higher. Brent crude, the international benchmark, was trading around $80 a barrel, still well below the levels reached at the height of the conflict.
Trump has in recent days alternated between threatening major military strikes and expressing support for diplomatic efforts.
Attacks on regional shipping continue
Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed Wednesday that they had fired ballistic missiles toward a Saudi oil tanker in the Red Sea off the Saudi port of Yanbu, without providing evidence. Saudi Arabia did not immediately comment.
A vessel sailing in the Gulf of Aden off Yemen reported a loud explosion nearby, according to the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations center. The crew was safe, it said.
The Houthis also claimed to have fired a ballistic missile at another Saudi oil tanker.
The latest escalation between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia has raised concerns that Yemen’s civil war could intensify again. The conflict has pitted the Houthis against a Saudi-led coalition backing Yemen’s government.
In July, the Houthis announced that they were closing the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Saudi-linked shipping. The move has added pressure on international shipping, as the Red Sea became an important alternative route for Saudi oil exports during the war.
Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire grows increasingly fragile
The already fragile ceasefire between Israel and the Iran-backed Hezbollah group became more volatile Wednesday after 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 launched “precise strikes” in southern Lebanon in response to what it called a “blatant violation of the ceasefire.” The truce 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 an agreement under which Israeli forces are expected to withdraw from areas they occupy in southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
A State Department official said the Rome talks ended early “due to events on the ground” but could resume Thursday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the diplomacy, described the discussions as “extremely productive.”