Iran-Oman Agree on Temporary Strait of Hormuz Route

Iran and Oman have agreed to establish a temporary joint navigation corridor in the Strait of Hormuz, according to multiple reports. The agreement was finalized during talks between both countries' foreign ministers, with the proposed framework including a seven-mile-wide transit route passing through Iranian territorial waters for entry and exit.

The development comes amid ongoing tensions in the region, with an unidentified projectile striking an oil tanker off Oman's coast early Tuesday. According to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the vessel sustained damage to its engine room roughly 9 nautical miles northeast of Ash Shishah. The crew reported being safe.

While Iran and Oman move forward with this temporary solution, Tehran has made it clear that full reopening of the strait depends on U.S. compliance with commitments under a June peace deal. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi dismissed President Donald Trump's claim that all mines had been cleared from international waters in Hormuz, calling it an attempt to 'calm the markets.' He warned that American mine-detection vessels would become targets if they entered the area.

The Strait of Hormuz has been a flashpoint since February when U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran led Tehran to blockade the waterway. Washington responded with a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports, while Iran demands ships use its northern territorial route or risk coming under attack. Before the conflict began, approximately 130 ships passed through the strait each day, transporting about one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies.

Traffic through Hormuz has trended lower this week and remains far below pre-war levels, even as the U.S. has sought to help escort vessels along the Omani side of the strait. According to Kpler, only five ships made confirmed crossings Tuesday, down from seven the day before and a collapse from more than 130 vessels a day before the war.

U.S. allies are skeptical that Iran's mines in the strait have been fully cleared, casting doubt over President Donald Trump's claims that the waterway was safe for passage. The U.S. military has maintained a naval blockade against Iranian ships in the vital chokepoint and used the southern Omani lane to escort oil tankers in and out of the Gulf.

The United Arab Emirates said it intercepted an Iranian drone over its waters Monday, marking another escalation in tensions. This incident follows a U.S. attack on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz, where two people were killed and several others wounded. Iran responded by launching missiles at U.S. sites in Jordan, which were intercepted.

As the fighting resumed, the price of Brent crude oil climbed above $90, up about 25% from the start of the war, presenting a growing problem for President Trump before the midterm elections. Anwar Gargash, a diplomatic adviser to the UAE’s president, called for a political solution that would return normal navigation to the Strait of Hormuz.

The U.S. has been ratcheting up economic pressure on Iran, hoping to force concessions including reopening the Strait of Hormuz to shipping. The shifting strategy centers on threats to punish any country or entity that conducts business with Tehran. Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stressed that Iran wasn’t seeking war but would respond decisively to aggressors.