Iran and Oman reach final agreement on new Strait of Hormuz transit routes

Iran and Oman will soon announce a final agreement on new entry and exit routes for the Strait of Hormuz at a meeting with Persian Gulf foreign ministers, an informed source said, adding that the deal does not mean the strait will reopen.

According to the source, intensive technical and diplomatic talks between Iran and Oman culminated in a final agreement in late August. The understanding is strictly between Iran and Oman, with other countries attending only to be informed of the details of the route and transit arrangements, so that their tacit non-objection is made clear to the international community. Under the agreement, the entry route into the Persian Gulf will lie entirely in Iranian territorial waters, and part of the exit route from the Persian Gulf will also be in Iranian territorial waters. Transit along this route will be under Iranian arrangements. Once implemented, the southern route, which the United States insisted on opening and which was the main cause of the recent tension, will be closed.

In addition to Iran, Oman and other Persian Gulf coastal states, Iraq will also attend the meeting. These countries will only be informed of the outcome of the Iran-Oman talks, while decisions on the details were made in technical meetings between Iran and Oman.

Crucially, the source stressed that the understanding does not mean the Strait of Hormuz will open. Iran has conveyed seven conditions to the U.S. side through intermediaries for the strait to be reopened. Until those seven conditions, approved by Iran's highest military authorities, are implemented, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed. The understanding therefore means that if the strait is to open, it will open on the basis of this agreement, which represents a major step for Iran's exercise of sovereignty over the waterway. The opening of the strait depends entirely on American behaviour in implementing Iran's conditions, the source said.

According to Mehr News, the agreement is expected to be presented at the upcoming meeting with Persian Gulf foreign ministers, where the participating states will be briefed on the transit arrangements.