Iran-Oman Hormuz shipping talks final stage

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that negotiations with Oman over managing the Strait of Hormuz are in their final stages, according to state media. The talks aim to establish a new shipping route through the strategic waterway, which Iran closed following the outbreak of hostilities with the US and Israel on February 28. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the two sides are approaching consensus on an alternative maritime corridor that respects both nations' sovereign rights, but stressed that any agreement with Oman would not automatically reopen the strait. The development coincides with US President Donald Trump's announcement that he canceled planned military strikes on Iran after being asked by Tehran and other Middle Eastern countries to hold off, citing agreed deal parameters. Trump demanded the immediate, complete opening of the strait and an end to Iran's nuclear threat as conditions for a final agreement. Iran denied requesting the pause. The dispute over transit rights through the waterway, a critical route for global oil and gas, has led to a sharp decline in vessel traffic, as reported by maritime intelligence firm Kpler.