Iran sets demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz amid talks with Oman
Iran has disclosed a list of demands that it says the United States must meet before the Strait of Hormuz can fully reopen to shipping. The waterway carries about 20% of global oil trade, making any change to access there a matter of immediate concern for energy markets and maritime security. The latest disclosure adds a new layer to already fragile talks over vessel routes through the chokepoint.
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According to remarks attributed to the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and reported through Iranian state media, Tehran will not allow ships to pass through the strait unless Washington fulfils its conditions. The report said the demands were relayed on Saturday, the same day Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Iran and Oman were "very close" to a new navigation agreement. A US official was quoted as saying there had been progress between Oman and Iran and that an announcement could come soon.
The reported demands appear to complicate expectations that a technical arrangement with Oman could quickly restore commercial traffic. The article said the Trump administration is unlikely to accept Iran's terms, and that earlier US positions linked sanctions relief and access to frozen Iranian assets to concessions from Tehran. It also said Washington had previously tied any easing of pressure to Iran giving up enriched uranium and abandoning its nuclear weapons programme.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most sensitive maritime chokepoints because it links Gulf producers to global markets. Any prolonged disruption can affect oil prices, shipping insurance and the calculations of states that depend on energy imports. That is why even a partial route agreement, if confirmed, would carry significance beyond the immediate dispute between Tehran and Washington.
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The latest comments also sit against a backdrop of earlier understandings that have not held. The report said a memorandum of understanding signed in June envisaged reopening the strait and a temporary suspension of oil sanctions, but that the two sides later interpreted the deal differently and it was called into question within two weeks. The current talks with Oman therefore appear to be part of a wider effort to manage maritime access while broader political disagreements remain unresolved.
What remains unclear is the exact content of Iran's demands, whether Oman's proposed route will be formally announced, and how the United States will respond. It is also not clear whether the reported progress will be enough to restore normal shipping or whether the dispute will continue to limit traffic through the strait. For now, officials are signalling movement, but the wider bargain over sanctions, navigation and security is still unsettled.
Iran says it is close to an arrangement with Oman on vessel routes through the Strait of Hormuz, while the United Arab Emirates has accused Iran of hitting another ship in the same waterway. The developments point to continued disruption in one of the world's most important oil and gas transit routes. They also suggest that maritime access remains tied to wider negotiations over the conflict and sanctions pressure.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran and Muscat were "very close" to agreement on a new shipping route through the strait, but said reopening the waterway depended on other conditions, including compensation from the United States. He said the previous traffic separation scheme was no longer acceptable to Tehran and that Iran was discussing a temporary route with Oman while technical and legal issues for a permanent route were resolved. A US official, speaking anonymously, said Washington expected an agreement soon so that normal oil traffic could resume.
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The UAE said a carrier affiliated with its state oil company was struck by a missile as it transited the Strait of Hormuz, with no injuries reported. There was no immediate comment from Iranian authorities. Iranian media reported the UAE account but did not include the accusation that Iran was responsible, leaving the claim unconfirmed from Tehran's side.
The latest allegation adds to a series of attacks on shipping in the narrow waterway, which carried about a fifth of the world's oil and gas shipments before the war. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic chokepoint linking Gulf producers to global markets, so any disruption can affect energy prices, shipping insurance and regional security calculations. The current tensions are part of a wider conflict that began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran on 28 February, after which Iran responded by targeting US bases in Gulf states and Jordan, as well as shipping in the strait.
That broader pattern has made any move on vessel routing politically sensitive, because it sits at the intersection of military pressure, sanctions and commercial access. The reported talks with Oman also appear to be linked to earlier efforts to manage traffic through the waterway. Iranian officials have said the issue has its own mechanism and is separate from other negotiations, while also insisting that any broader reopening depends on conditions set by Tehran.
The US official said Washington would lift the blockade of Iranian ports once a deal was announced to restore commercial shipping without impediments, indicating that maritime access is being treated as part of a wider bargaining process. What remains unclear is whether the Oman arrangement will be formally announced, what exact route changes it would authorise, and whether it would reduce the risk of further attacks on shipping. It is also not clear whether the latest alleged strike will affect the pace of talks or prompt any immediate response from the parties involved.
For now, officials are signalling progress, but the wider dispute over the strait remains unresolved and closely tied to the broader conflict.
Iran says it is close to finalising an arrangement with Oman on vessel routes through the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway that carries a large share of global oil and gas shipments. The development comes as Iranian officials continue to link any broader reopening of the strait to concessions from the United States. The issue has become part of a wider dispute over maritime access, sanctions and regional security.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that the agreement with Oman was "very close", but said a full reopening would depend on Washington honouring commitments tied to a June memorandum of understanding. Iranian officials have accused the United States of violating those commitments, including by backing a southern Omani route in the strait without coordination with Tehran. They have also criticised Washington for not unfreezing Iranian funds held abroad under sanctions.
Hossein Mohebbi, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesperson, said separately that reopening the Strait of Hormuz has its own mechanism and is not part of the negotiations with Oman. He said the United States would have to accept conditions set by Iran, and urged the administration of President Donald Trump not to interfere in the talks. A spokesperson for the national security commission of Iran's parliament also said the framework of an arrangement with Oman had been agreed and that a deal could be expected soon.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most sensitive maritime chokepoints, and any change to how vessels move through it can affect shipping costs, energy markets and regional risk calculations. Iran has long treated the strait as a strategic asset, and the latest comments show how maritime access remains tied to broader political bargaining. The dispute also reflects the continuing strain between Tehran and Washington over sanctions, regional conflicts and the terms of any diplomatic engagement.
The current talks appear to sit alongside earlier understandings reached in June, when Iran and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding that Iranian officials now say was not fully respected. President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview that he would strongly defend that agreement and rejected speculation that he might resign. His remarks came as hardliners continued to argue for a tougher line, underscoring the domestic political sensitivity around any deal involving the United States.
What remains unclear is whether the Oman arrangement will be formally announced, what exact route changes it would authorise, and whether the United States will respond to Iran's demands. It is also not clear how any agreement would be implemented in practice or whether it would reduce tensions around the strait. For now, officials in Tehran are signalling that the talks are near completion, while keeping the wider reopening of the waterway tied to unresolved negotiations with Washington.
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