Iran, Oman finalizing deal on new Hormuz shipping arrangements

Iran and Oman are close to finalizing an agreement on new arrangements for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, under which the temporary northern and southern routes will be replaced by a new single route passing through Iran's territorial waters for two to four months, said a senior Iranian diplomat, reported Xinhua.

In an interview with the official news agency IRNA published Wednesday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said the two sides had reached in-principle agreement on almost all relevant issues, including the entry and exit route map, following more than three weeks of consultations.

He said the potential agreement did not mean that the strait would be reopened completely.

Gharibabadi rejected U.S. claims of negotiations with Iran, saying Tehran had received messages from Washington expressing readiness to return to commitments under the peace memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the two sides in June.

Meanwhile, an informed source close to the Iranian negotiating team told semi-official Fars news agency that the reopening of the strait hinges on tangible U.S. implementation of its commitments, adding that the U.S. Treasury Department's removal of sanctions on an Iraqi airline on Wednesday was unrelated to the Iran-U.S. MoU.

Iran tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 28, barring safe passage of vessels belonging to or affiliated with Israel and the United States, following their joint strikes on Iranian territory.

The U.S. military launched multiple waves of strikes against Iranian targets last month, saying they were in response to Iranian attacks on vessels in the strait and aimed at "degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping."

Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting U.S. military bases and facilities in the region.