Iran and Oman agree shipping-route coordinates as Trump says war may end soon

Iranian officials are reviewing a preliminary bill that would bar US, Israeli and other "hostile" vessels from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to reports cited by a parliamentary source. The development comes as Iran and Oman said they had agreed on coordinates for shipping routes through the strait, a waterway that remains central to global energy and maritime security. The latest comments also follow remarks by Donald Trump that he believes the war with Iran is nearing an end and that he is involved in negotiations.

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The reported bill is being examined by an Iranian parliamentary committee, while Iran's Fars news agency cited an unnamed lawmaker in saying the proposal would target vessels seen as hostile. At the same time, Iran and Oman said on Thursday that they had settled the route coordinates, although the broader question of who controls access to the strait remains unresolved. Iran has denied holding direct talks with the United States, saying it is speaking only to Oman about control of the passage.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he thought the war would end "pretty soon" and said he did not think it could continue for much longer. He also said petrol prices would fall once the conflict was over and repeated that he was involved in negotiations with Tehran. The comments came after he cancelled a planned large-scale military attack on Iran last week, saying regional countries had asked the United States to call off the strikes because a diplomatic breakthrough was close.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, and any change to access or transit rules can affect oil and liquefied natural gas flows well beyond the Gulf. The reports say the waterway's closure has already triggered a global energy crisis, underlining why even a temporary arrangement or a new restriction would be watched closely by shipowners, insurers and governments. The issue is not only commercial but also legal, because any compulsory restriction or fee could raise questions about the international rules governing transit passage.

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The talks around the strait have become part of a wider effort to resolve disagreements between the United States and Iran over how the waterway should be controlled. Earlier reports said the route coordinates had been agreed and that the arrangement was being described as temporary, with one unresolved issue being whether vessels would be asked to pay a fee. The latest reporting adds a new layer by suggesting Tehran is also considering formal limits on which ships may pass, which would deepen the strategic stakes of the negotiations.

The wider conflict has also affected military planning. Trump reacted angrily this week to media reports that the United States may be running low on weapons in the region, while a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute said shortages of interceptors were making the situation more dangerous for US personnel. That assessment also pointed to strain on other commands in East Asia, suggesting the conflict is having consequences beyond the immediate theatre.

For now, the main unknowns are whether the Iranian committee will advance the bill, whether the shipping-route agreement will be turned into a formal joint statement, and whether any broader understanding between Tehran and Washington can hold. It is also unclear how Oman's role will develop if the talks move forward, or whether any new restrictions would be accepted by shipping companies and the wider international community. The next developments to watch are the final wording of any agreement, the political review in Tehran, and whether the reported negotiations produce a practical arrangement for traffic through the strait.

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