Iran and Oman are on the verge of an agreement on a new temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran warns that this is not enough for the full reopening of the waterway, reports infohub.kz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said talks with Oman are "very close" to completion. The sides are discussing a temporary route that would allow ships to pass while technical and legal issues are resolved.
Meanwhile, Iran has set tough demands for the United States: compensation, an end to threats and military actions, lifting of sanctions and blockade, and unfreezing of Iranian assets. A representative of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Mohebbi, stressed that the opening of the strait directly depends on Washington's agreement to these conditions and is not solely linked to the Iran-Oman deals.
The Strait of Hormuz is of strategic importance for the global energy market: before the conflict, about a fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies passed through it. Restrictions on shipping have already led to supply disruptions and higher energy prices.
Amid the talks, tensions in the strait persist. The UAE reported that Iranian forces attacked a vessel linked to the country's state oil company with a missile; no casualties were reported. The British maritime trade monitoring service also recorded an incident where a ship caught fire after being hit by an unknown projectile, but the blaze was extinguished.
The United States has previously said it expects a quick agreement that would restore normal movement of oil tankers. Washington demands that Iran ensure free and unimpeded passage of commercial vessels through the strait and opposes giving Tehran control over the passage. If the agreements are fulfilled, the US is ready to lift the blockade of Iranian ports.
Earlier, Iran demanded that Persian Gulf states convince US President Donald Trump to refrain from new strikes on the Islamic republic. Otherwise, Tehran threatened attacks on the oil, energy, and transport infrastructure of Washington's closest allies in the region.