Iran and Oman Take Steps Towards Establishing a Shipping Route Through The Hormuz Strait

Iran and Oman are discussing the creation of a temporary joint shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz and a mine-clearing operation aimed at restoring safer navigation through one of the world's most important energy corridors.

The proposal comes as tensions over control of the strait continue to threaten commercial shipping and global oil supplies, with Washington and Tehran backing competing routes through the narrow waterway.

Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi said talks in Tehran with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had been constructive and expressed hope that an agreement on a temporary corridor could be announced soon.

Albusaidi said the two sides were working on "practical arrangements to restore safe navigation," while negotiations over the longer-term management of the Strait of Hormuz would continue.

"Future management of the Strait and a permanent solution will follow in due course," Albusaidi wrote on social media. He added that discussions with regional partners would support stability, cooperation and freedom of navigation.

Oman's Foreign Ministry said the proposed framework also includes a joint Iranian-Omani project to clear mines from the strait. Muscat and Tehran are expected to continue negotiations on a permanent shipping corridor and a system for administering maritime traffic.

The reference to mine clearing, however, raises questions about conflicting assessments of conditions in the waterway. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. Navy had informed him that all mines had been removed from international waters in the Strait of Hormuz.

Oman's announcement suggested that additional mine-clearing work could still be necessary, although it was not immediately clear whether Muscat was referring to Iranian territorial waters or other parts of the strait.

The negotiations also come amid a sharp escalation in U.S. economic pressure on Tehran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that Washington plans to sanction entities that continue doing business with Iran as part of a campaign to further isolate the country economically.

Trump has also clashed with Oman over Muscat's diplomatic engagement with Tehran, threatening earlier this month to bomb the country when asked by Fox News about Oman's Hormuz negotiations.

Despite those tensions, Oman has continued serving as an intermediary. The current negotiations stem from a provision in a June 17 memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. Under the interim agreement, Iran and Oman were supposed to hold talks to "define the future administration and maritime services" in the Strait of Hormuz.

The broader agreement quickly unraveled as the United States and Iran clashed over which shipping lanes vessels should use. The U.S. military currently protects commercial vessels traveling through a southern route along the Omani coast. U.S. Central Command has said more than 660 million barrels of crude oil have passed through Hormuz under American protection since May.

Iran, meanwhile, has demanded that ships transit through a northern route running through Iranian territorial waters, warning that vessels using alternative passages could face attack. The dispute has become increasingly dangerous for commercial shipping.

An oil tanker was struck by an unidentified projectile and disabled near Oman on Monday. The incident followed attacks on two cargo vessels in the Strait of Hormuz last week that killed two sailors.