Report: Iran-Oman Shipping Talks Separate from Trump’s Hormuz Reopening Claims

By Staff, Agencies

Talks between Iran and Oman on shipping arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz are not connected to US President Donald Trump’s assertion that the strategic waterway will reopen soon, according to a report citing an informed source.

Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB reported on Wednesday that the negotiations are being conducted exclusively between Tehran and Muscat and do not involve the United States.

The source said that even if Iran and Oman reach an agreement on maritime transit, the Strait of Hormuz will not be fully reopened as long as the United States continues what Iran describes as violations against the country.

“The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is contingent upon a change in US conduct and the rectification of its violations,” the source was quoted as saying.

Trump said on Tuesday that an agreement with Iran could be reached within hours and claimed that negotiations were progressing positively after he decided to cancel what he described as a planned “massive attack” on Iran.

The US president also stated that Washington was engaged in “very good discussions” with Tehran and that the talks were moving forward successfully.

Iranian officials, however, have repeatedly denied holding direct negotiations with the United States at this stage, maintaining that the current discussions are taking place only between Iran and Oman.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Tuesday that negotiations between Tehran and Muscat were advancing positively at both the technical and political levels.

Baghaei explained that the talks between the two countries, which both border the Strait of Hormuz, are focused on establishing secure shipping routes while protecting the sovereignty and security interests of both Iran and Oman.

A source familiar with the negotiations also told Press TV that discussions on creating a new shipping corridor through the Strait have entered a new phase despite what it described as attempts by the White House to obstruct the process.

According to the source, negotiations began shortly after a ceasefire was reached in April and intensified following a subsequent agreement. Iran has since continued consultations with Oman and other regional countries regarding future arrangements for navigation through the Strait.

The proposed corridor is intended to facilitate safe maritime passage while recognizing Iran’s sovereignty and addressing its security concerns as a coastal state.

The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important energy transit routes, has remained a focal point of tensions between Iran and the United States following the recent conflict involving Washington and “Israel.”

Following the outbreak of hostilities, Iran closed the Strait and later began discussions with Oman aimed at establishing a joint mechanism to regulate maritime transit through the waterway.