Iran has made clear that a deal with Oman on a new shipping arrangement for the Strait of Hormuz will not, by itself, reopen the strategic waterway. Tehran says the strait will reopen only after the United States accepts a broader set of Iranian conditions, while Washington has indicated that it is prepared to lift its blockade of Iranian ports once commercial shipping resumes without impediments.The competing positions have emerged as Iran and Oman move closer to an agreement on a new shipping protocol for the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but critical maritime route through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas shipments passed before the conflict.Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran and Muscat were “very close” to an agreement on a new arrangement for shipping through the strait. However, he made clear that the agreement with Oman would not be sufficient on its own to reopen the waterway.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has also rejected suggestions that the reopening of the strait is simply a matter for the Iran-Oman negotiations.IRGC spokesperson Hossein Mohebbi said the reopening of the waterway was “contingent upon the United States accepting Iran’s conditions and has no connection to the Iran-Oman negotiations.”He later said, “Whenever the United States accepts Iran’s conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will certainly be reopened,” according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency.The statements point to a much broader dispute than the technical question of how ships will navigate the strait. At the centre of the disagreement are US military operations, sanctions, Iranian assets, compensation for wartime damage and control over shipping through one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
What Iran wants before reopening the strait
Iran’s demands extend beyond an agreement with Oman on shipping arrangements. According to Al Jazeera, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, has outlined several conditions for reopening the waterway.
1. An end to US threats against Iran
Tehran wants Washington to stop threatening Iran and end what it sees as continued US pressure against the country.For Iran, reopening the strait is therefore linked to the broader security situation. Tehran has argued that maritime arrangements cannot be separated from the military conflict and the wider confrontation with Washington.
2. An end to US military action
Iran wants the United States to halt military action against Iran and its regional allies.The demand comes after months of conflict involving US and Israeli attacks on Iran and Iranian retaliation against US interests and bases in the region.Tehran’s position is that a return to normal commercial shipping must be accompanied by a wider reduction in military confrontation.
3. Withdrawal of US naval and air forces involved in the blockade
Iran has also demanded the withdrawal of US naval and air forces involved in the blockade.The presence of US forces around the waterway has become a central point of contention. Washington has said it controls the blockade and has linked any lifting of restrictions to Iran meeting its commitments.US President Donald Trump said the US Navy was leading the blockade and that Washington controlled it.“I don’t want to say it has been… it’s sort of open right now. We have a thing called the blockade headed up by the US Navy, and we control it. But they can always shoot something or drop a mine… if you have one mine sitting out there, you sort of mess things up because people don’t want to take their billion-dollar boats and accidentally get hit by a mine. But I think we’re doing very well. I am involved in the negotiations. I think we are doing fine… it could be soon.”
4. Compensation for damage caused during the conflict
Another major Iranian demand is compensation from the US for damage caused during the conflict.Iran has indicated that an agreement on shipping cannot be separated from the economic and physical damage it says has resulted from the US military campaign.Araghchi has specifically said that US compensation to Iran would have to be addressed before the strait could reopen.
5. Lifting of sanctions
Iran also wants US sanctions imposed on the country to be lifted.Sanctions have been one of the principal tools used by Washington to pressure Tehran. For Iran, their removal would represent a broader economic component of any agreement to end the confrontation.
6. Unfreezing Iranian assets
Tehran has also demanded that Iranian assets frozen under US sanctions be released.This would give Iran access to funds that have been restricted as part of the sanctions regime and would form another major element of the economic settlement Tehran is seeking.
7. No US interference in regional negotiations
The IRGC has separately insisted that Washington must stop interfering in regional negotiations.Mohebbi said reopening the strait depended on “specific mechanisms and conditions” and was separate from the negotiations between Iran and Oman.This is important because Oman has been playing a role in discussions over the shipping arrangement. Iran appears to be treating the Oman talks as a mechanism for resolving the technical and legal aspects of maritime traffic, while insisting that the United States must separately meet its political and military conditions.
What Iran and Oman are negotiating
Iran and Oman are working on a new arrangement governing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.Araghchi said the previous shipping traffic separation scheme was no longer acceptable to Tehran. Iran is therefore discussing a temporary route with Oman while technical and legal questions surrounding a permanent route are resolved.The proposed arrangement is aimed at allowing commercial shipping to resume while addressing Iran’s concerns over how vessels enter and leave the Persian Gulf.According to Reuters, a proposed deal could give Iran control over ships entering the Gulf through the strait. A senior Iranian source and two regional officials were cited as saying this would represent a major concession to Tehran.However, US officials have repeatedly indicated that Washington would not accept Iran controlling access to the world’s most important energy trade route.This disagreement over who controls shipping is therefore one of the most difficult elements of the proposed arrangement.
What the US wants
Washington’s position is different from Tehran’s.The US has indicated that it wants commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz to resume without impediments and has tied the lifting of its blockade to Iran fulfilling its commitments.A US official told Reuters, “There is progress between Oman and Iran on the strait, and we expect a deal soon. Once the deal is announced to restore commercial shipping without impediments, the United States will lift the blockade of Iranian ports.”The official added, “As always, US actions will continue to be performance-based and tied to Iran’s implementation of its commitments.”This suggests that Washington sees the reopening of the strait as part of a reciprocal process. Iran would have to meet its commitments before the US takes corresponding steps.
Washington also wants unrestricted commercial shipping
The US position centres on restoring normal commercial traffic through the waterway.Washington does not appear willing to accept an arrangement under which Iran has unrestricted authority to decide which ships can enter or leave the Persian Gulf.The issue is particularly important because the strait is a global energy chokepoint. Disruption there affects oil and gas shipments far beyond Iran and the Gulf region.
The US wants Iran to fulfil its commitments
Washington has also made clear that any concessions would be conditional.The US official said American actions would remain “performance-based”, meaning Washington would expect Iran to implement agreed measures before the US follows through on its own commitments.Trump has also linked the broader negotiations to the US objective of preventing Iran from possessing a nuclear weapon.The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the wider Arabian Sea. Its strategic importance comes from the enormous volume of energy that passes through the narrow waterway.Before the conflict, the strait carried around a fifth of the world’s oil and gas shipments.That makes any prolonged disruption a global economic issue rather than simply a dispute between Iran and the US.When shipping is threatened, tanker operators face higher insurance costs, longer routes and the risk of vessels being attacked or detained. Energy prices can rise as traders anticipate shortages, adding to inflationary pressure.Iran’s actions around the waterway have therefore attracted intense international attention.The UAE said on Saturday that Iran had attacked a carrier affiliated with its state oil company with a missile while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz. No injuries were reported. Iranian authorities did not immediately comment on the allegation.Abu Dhabi National Oil Company has also said that 15 of its vessels had been struck while transiting the strait since the beginning of the conflict, resulting in one crew member being killed and 20 injured.
Why the Iran-Oman deal is not enough
The central problem is that Iran and the US appear to be negotiating different parts of the same crisis.Iran’s position: A shipping agreement with Oman can resolve navigation and maritime arrangements, but the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until Washington accepts Tehran’s wider political, military and economic conditions.US position: Washington expects Iran and Oman to reach an arrangement allowing normal commercial shipping, after which the US would lift its blockade of Iranian ports, subject to Iran fulfilling its commitments.This creates a major gap between the two sides. For Iran, reopening the strait is part of a broader settlement with the United States.For Washington, reopening the waterway is more closely tied to Iran’s implementation of commitments and the restoration of unrestricted commercial shipping.
What could unlock the Strait of Hormuz
A deal would likely require progress on several issues at the same time.First, Iran and Oman would need to settle the technical and legal framework governing shipping. Tehran has said the previous traffic separation system is no longer acceptable and wants a temporary arrangement while a permanent system is negotiated.Second, Iran and the US would need to resolve the question of military activity around the waterway. Tehran wants US forces involved in the blockade withdrawn, while Washington wants assurances that commercial vessels can move safely without interference.Third, the two sides would have to address the economic issues raised by Iran, including compensation, sanctions and frozen Iranian assets.Finally, there would need to be agreement on who has authority over vessels using the strait. This could prove especially difficult if Washington opposes any arrangement that gives Tehran effective control over access to the waterway.
Pezeshkian signals room for negotiations
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has indicated that Tehran sees an opportunity for diplomacy, even while maintaining that Iran will not surrender what it considers its rights.In a post on X, he said: “The best time to reach an agreement is the current situation. On the path to peace, we will not compromise on the rights of the Iranian nation. The government’s main reliance is on domestic capacities and the people. The necessity of a compassionate approach toward the people | People are in two categories; either they are your religious brothers, or they are equal to you in creation.”Pezeshkian’s comments suggest that Iran remains open to negotiations, but Tehran sees the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as part of a wider agreement with the US.For Iran, reopening the strait depends on an end to US military action and threats, withdrawal of US forces involved in the blockade, compensation for wartime damage, lifting of sanctions, unfreezing of Iranian assets and an end to US interference in regional talks.The US, meanwhile, wants commercial shipping to resume without restrictions and expects Iran to fulfil its commitments before Washington takes further steps. It also opposes giving Iran unilateral control over the waterway.Oman is trying to help the two sides reach an agreement on shipping through the strait. However, Iran has made clear that an Iran-Oman deal alone will not be enough to reopen the waterway.
