Iran and Oman have agreed on a transit route map for the Strait of Hormuz that would reopen the waterway with ships entering near Iran and exiting close to Oman, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Monday, though a final agreement with a joint statement has yet to be concluded.
Baghaei said the complex negotiations continue in earnest but are hindered by the issue's intricacy, the number of parties involved, and efforts by certain countries to disrupt the process. Both sides have expressed determination to craft a mechanism that serves their mutual interests while safeguarding international navigation, he said.
The talks follow a sharp escalation since July 8, when President Donald Trump declared a June 18 ceasefire with Iran void. The U.S. military has since struck Iran in response to Tehran's actions against commercial vessels transiting the strait, according to U.S. Central Command. Iran retaliated by attacking American bases across the Middle East.