Iran says it is "very close" to a shipping agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, but warns the deal alone will not reopen the vital waterway. According to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, reopening transit depends on additional conditions Tehran is asking Washington to accept, including compensation for what it calls the US "violation". The United States, for its part, says it will lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports only once unrestricted commercial shipping resumes.
A close deal, but not enough
According to [PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/whats-holding-up-the-iran-oman-proposal-to-reopen-the-strait-of-hormuz), by midweek Iran and Oman had reached a tentative understanding: inbound ships on a lane closer to Iran, outbound ships on a lane closer to Oman, no tolls, demining of the strait and a restart of the 60-day clock under the June memorandum to return to the ceasefire and broader negotiations. The deal was derailed by last-minute demands from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps: clear commitments to lift the naval blockade, remove sanctions, let Iran sell oil in dollars again and add tolls to the agreement.
Tehran's conditions
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said talks with Oman are in the final stage of drafting a joint statement, but warned the bilateral agreement "cannot in itself be interpreted as meaning the waterway has become safe for passing vessels": the main source of instability remains the United States and its naval blockade of Iranian ports, as [Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/6/hormuz-deal-close-whats-the-latest-on-each-sides-positions) reports. Tehran reiterated it will not reopen the strait until the blockade is lifted, while Washington rules out any tolls or Iranian approval for transit: "I'm not going to let them charge. Anybody's going to charge, we'll charge," Donald Trump said.
