Iran and Oman have agreed on the coordinates of a new commercial shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, with large portions running through Iranian territorial waters, deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said, bringing the two sides to what Tehran describes as a principled understanding on nearly all outstanding issues. The proposed route would operate for two to four months, with Iran forgoing tolls for an initial 60-day period according to U.S. media reports — a provision likely to draw scrutiny from Washington, which demands toll-free navigation without Iranian approval.
However, the draft agreement still requires sign-off from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since being reportedly wounded in airstrikes and whose condition President Masoud Pezeshkian described as making contact "very difficult". U.S. top negotiator Steve Witkoff has been in repeated contact with both Iranian and Omani counterparts, President Donald Trump said, adding that a deal could come "tomorrow or the day after".
Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei cautioned that the arrangement cannot be interpreted as meaning the waterway is safe for all passing vessels. Eight major shipping associations have urged the UN to oppose any toll regime in the strait, through which one-fifth of global oil and LNG supplies transit.