The US, Iran, and Oman are close to an interim deal that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported early Wednesday morning, citing two regional sources and a US official.
According to the sources, Washington is aiming for the agreement to be announced on Wednesday.
The deal has been under negotiations for several weeks and is aimed at resuming ceasefire talks between Washington and Tehran that would restart negotiations for a nuclear deal, according to the report.
This comes after US President Donald Trump called off strikes on Iran over the weekend, which he abandoned for the sake of continuing negotiations.
On Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said progress had been made in talks with Iran, adding that the White House was “hoping” for an agreement.
“The Strait is going to be open very soon — or they’re gonna hit very hard, and then the Strait is going to be open,” Trump said in an interview early Wednesday morning.
“If they back out again, they’re going to get hit really hard. They know that; they understand that. I have no choice,” he said, though he also claimed that the US was having “very good discussions” with Iran.
The interim agreement being discussed would entail a period of at least 60 days, in which Iran and Oman would jointly administer the Strait of Hormuz, according to the regional sources cited by Axios.
Under the reported arrangement, all inbound ships would travel along the northern Iranian lane, while outbound ships would travel in a southern lane in Omani waters, said Axios. During this period, ships wouldn’t be charged tolls or fees, and the parties would clear mines from the median lane of the strait within 30 days, after which it would be used for traffic both ways under a permanent agreement.
The US was involved in the negotiations, with Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff calling both the Iranian and Omani foreign ministers, Axios cited the sources as saying.
Moreover, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi agreed to the deal but needed approval from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, as well as the country’s Supreme National Security Council before proceeding, the sources added.
A US official and one of the regional sources said approval had been granted by Iranian leadership on Tuesday, according to the report.
Advisor to Qatar’s Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Majid bin Mohammed Al-Ansari had said on Tuesday that Qatar, a mediator in the talks, aimed to restore commercial shipping through the strait to its pre-war numbers.
On Tuesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the southern lane of the strait remained open, and that it had facilitated the movement of over 1,000 ships through the strait in the last three months.
Iran has long demanded control over Hormuz, which it says it should share with Oman on the opposite shore. It’s halted most traffic moving through the waterway after US-Iran tensions began in February.