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Hormuz talks near framework
Iran and Oman are nearing a proposed framework for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran’s deputy foreign minister warning the arrangement would not automatically reopen the waterway.
“Iran and Oman are close to finalizing a proposed framework for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz”
CNN reported that “Iran and Oman are close to finalizing a proposed framework for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” and that the agreement would not automatically reopen the waterway.
The Washington Post said Iranian officials warned the deal “won’t fully reopen the crucial waterway,” injecting fresh uncertainty into negotiations that President Donald Trump previously described positively.
The dispute over what reopening would mean is tied to how traffic would be routed, with The Washington Post stating that Iran and Oman have agreed that incoming ships will enter through Iranian territorial waters and outgoing ships will exit through Omani waters.
In parallel, Quartz tied market movement to the talks’ obstacles, writing that “Oil is sliding toward a weekly loss as Strait of Hormuz talks hit obstacles,” as investors weighed fee disputes and U.S. sanctions concerns.
Competing claims and pressures
As negotiations advanced, Iranian officials and lawmakers framed the process as conditional and limited, while U.S. and market actors treated it as uncertain and potentially destabilizing.
The Express Tribune quoted Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei describing the talks as “moving forward,” and said the two sides had reached “a mutual understanding on the geographical parameters of the route under discussion.”
Al Jazeera reported that Baghaei dismissed claims that a bilateral agreement with Oman would automatically make the strait safe for passing vessels, quoting him that “cannot in itself be interpreted as meaning the waterway has become safe for passing vessels.”
CNN also said Saudi Arabia was bracing for “multiple coordinated attacks” by Iraqi militias working with Iran-backed Houthis, as the conflict threatened to broaden in the region.
Quartz added that a senior Saudi official, speaking on condition of anonymity, cited intelligence pointing to the possibility of imminent strikes coordinated between Iraqi militias and Yemen’s Houthis and directed by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against civilian and economic targets.
What’s at stake next
The sources portray the next phase of the Hormuz file as a mix of shipping-management decisions, political leverage, and economic exposure, with both sides insisting on conditions before any broader normalization.
“Any temporary routes will be without any impediments — meaning no approvals or permissions and no tolls or charges”
The Washington Post said Iran’s deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi warned that “Any temporary routes will be without any impediments — meaning no approvals or permissions and no tolls or charges,” while also describing a model where “a significant part” of ship traffic would pass through Iranian waters.
Quartz connected the stakes to the strait’s role in global energy flows, stating that before the war erupted at the end of February, the strait was the transit route for approximately one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
CNN reported that President Donald Trump claimed the U.S. had “massive amounts” of munitions after reports of low stockpile, while acknowledging certain munitions were in “tighter” supply.
Al Jazeera emphasized that the Hormuz dispute remains unresolved even if a temporary route is agreed, quoting reporting from Tehran that “These discussions are now at the final drafting stage, pending a joint final statement,” while noting Iranian officials argue the talks are exclusively with Oman.
In the same framing, Al Jazeera said Washington rejects reports suggesting Iran would have control over traffic and argued that any temporary route should not require permits, approvals or fees, keeping the core disagreement alive as negotiations continue.
