Hormuz talks making progress, Oman says, but Iran warns reopening depends on conditions

Oman says talks with Iran aimed at securing a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz are making positive progress, although Tehran has warned that any agreement would not necessarily lead to the immediate reopening of the vital waterway.

Both countries said on Saturday that discussions were advancing, but there was no clear indication of when an agreement might be reached. Oman’s foreign ministry also warned against attacks on shipping that could further disrupt maritime traffic.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the talks were in their final stages but that reopening the strait remained “subject to other conditions”.

Iran has effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel began military action against the country in February. The waterway is one of the world’s most important energy routes, with about a fifth of global oil and natural gas supplies normally passing through it.

Recent negotiations have focused on the possibility of establishing a new route through the strait under the joint responsibility of Iran and Oman. Officials hope such an arrangement could help restore commercial shipping.

However, Araghchi said a full reopening would depend on other conditions being met.

He said Iran was seeking compensation from the United States over what Tehran described as violations of a June agreement intended to end fighting and advance diplomatic negotiations.

The agreement, known as a memorandum of understanding, collapsed shortly after it was signed, with attacks by both sides resuming days later.

Iran’s security chief, Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, separately told the semi-official Tasnim news agency that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed until the US “corrects” its behaviour.

He said Washington would need to meet six Iranian demands, including ending threats against Iran, lifting its naval blockade of Iranian ports and releasing Iranian assets frozen abroad.

The developments come amid wider disruption to shipping in the region. Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen have also maintained a blockade of Saudi Arabian ports in the Red Sea since 20 July.

US President Donald Trump said earlier this week that a deal with Iran “could be soon”, but Vice-President JD Vance struck a more cautious tone on Saturday.

Speaking to Fox News, Vance said progress had been made but warned that negotiations were still ongoing.

“We’re really in the middle of the game here,” he said. “This thing is not over.”

Vance said the US was using “a whole host of tools – diplomatic, economic [and] military tools” to secure what he described as the best possible outcome for Americans.

He also claimed that the same amount of oil was now emerging from the Gulf as before the US military operation began on 28 February, although he did not provide further details.