Iran and Oman are reportedly very close to an agreement on a new maritime transit route through the Strait of Hormuz, having already agreed on the coordinates for vessels. US President Donald Trump stated that negotiations are moving along. This agreement over the strategic waterway is seen as vital to a wider peace deal to end the five-month-old war between the United States and Iran.
However, Tehran has maintained that reopening the strait depends on the United States correcting its behavior. Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi and the supreme national security council, insist on the lifting of sanctions and compensation as conditions for reopening. Additionally, some Iranian lawmakers have sought to bar American and Israeli ships from the waterway, and Tehran has vowed to block US Navy ships.
The United States has called for a return to the prewar status quo and insists on free commercial shipping transit without impediments. While a proposed deal may give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf, the Revolutionary Guard has stressed that the waterway will only open once US conditions are accepted.
Amidst these tensions, the United Arab Emirates has condemned an Iranian missile attack on a carrier linked to its state oil company. The UAE accused Tehran of acts of piracy, a move that has been condemned by other Gulf and Arab governments. This attack further clouds the outlook for a deal to reopen the strategic waterway.