Iran, Oman edging toward Strait of Hormuz deal amid fresh attacks on vessels
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that the Islamic Republic and Oman were “very close” to agreeing on a naval route through the Strait of Hormuz, but that reopening the choke point still depended on other conditions, one of them being U.S. compensation to Tehran.
The previous traffic arrangement stipulated in the Memorandum of Understanding between Washington and Tehran in June was no longer acceptable to Iran, Reuters cited Araghchi as saying.
A temporary alternative route is being finalized with Oman, the report added.
Oman is situated to the south of the strait.
A U.S. official cited on condition of anonymity said that the Trump administration was anticipating that Tehran and Muscat would agree on a framework “soon” so that oil could resume flowing through the waterway.
“Once the deal is announced to restore commercial shipping without impediments, the United States will lift the blockade of Iranian ports. As always, U.S. actions will continue to be performance-based and tied to Iran’s implementation of its commitments,” Reuters quoted the official as saying.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson, Hossein Mohebbi, said on Saturday, “Whenever the United States accepts Iran’s conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will certainly be reopened,” the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency reported.
On Wednesday, a senior Iranian source and two regional officials told Reuters that the Iranian-Omani deal would grant the Islamic Republic control over the vessels entering the strait, as Tehran seeks to level a fee on passing ships.
Tehran’s sporadic attacks on commercial vessels in the waterway have disrupted global shipping and energy prices. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company said on Friday that 15 of its ships have come under fire in the Strait of Hormuz and one crew member was killed and 20 others were wounded, the report continued.
The United Arab Emirates’ flagship oil company reported on Saturday a fresh attack on one of its carriers, saying in a statement it was struck by a missile while passing through the waterway.
“ADNOC can confirm that one of its vessels was targeted by a missile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz in the early hours of Saturday, August 8. The incident resulted in no injuries, and the situation has been brought under control,” the company stated.
Separately, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre, a Royal Navy-sponsored organization, reported on Saturday that “a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile which caused a fire that has been extinguished. … The vessel and crew are reported as safe.”
It was unclear whether UKMTO was referring to the same incident reported earlier by ADNOC.
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Iran and Oman are nearing an agreement on a naval route through the Strait of Hormuz, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating they are “very close.” However, Iran's reopening of the strait is contingent on U.S. compensation to Tehran, as the previous June Memorandum of Understanding is no longer acceptable. A U.S. official indicated that if a deal is finalized to restore commercial shipping, the United States would lift its blockade of Iranian ports, with actions tied to Iran's implementation of commitments. The proposed Iranian-Omani deal might grant Iran control over vessels entering the strait, allowing Tehran to levy fees on passing ships. This development comes amid fresh attacks on vessels; the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company reported a missile strike on one of its carriers on Saturday, following earlier attacks that killed one crew member and wounded 20 others.
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