The United Arab Emirates has condemned an Iranian missile attack on a carrier linked to its state oil company as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Accusing Tehran of acts of piracy, the UAE and other Gulf and Arab governments have denounced the strike. This attack has further clouded the outlook for a deal to open the strategic waterway.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that Iran and Oman are very close to an agreement on a new shipping route and the coordinates for vessels passing through the strait. This agreement, which sources say would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf, is seen as vital to a wider deal to end the conflict between Iran and the United States.
Despite the progress with Oman, Iran’s supreme national security council and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps insist that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz depends on the United States correcting its behavior. Tehran is demanding the lifting of sanctions and compensation from the U.S. as conditions for reopening the vital waterway, stating that the outcome of talks with Oman will not be enough to free up the strait.