Iran and Oman have reached a gradual agreement to establish a 'temporary joint maritime corridor' and a 'joint mine removal project' to resume safe navigation in the Hormuz Strait, which has been restricted due to recent conflicts.
This development comes just a day after the Trump administration announced an expansion of economic sanctions against Iran. Amid increasing economic pressure from the U.S., diplomatic discussions aimed at normalizing navigation in the Hormuz Strait are gaining momentum.
On August 25, the Iranian Foreign Ministry reported that Badr al-Busaidi, the Omani Foreign Minister, announced the 'Iran-Oman Joint Statement' following talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi during his visit to Tehran.
The statement indicated that both sides agreed on the need to quickly resume safe navigation in the Hormuz Strait while respecting each country's sovereignty and sovereign rights.
Additionally, the statement noted that they discussed a practical and actionable 'gradual framework' to stabilize the tense situation in the Strait following recent conflicts.
This gradual framework includes the immediate establishment of a 'temporary joint maritime corridor' to resume vessel traffic and a joint project to remove mines in the Strait.
Furthermore, they agreed to continue technical negotiations for long-term management of the Strait, which will involve establishing a permanent maritime corridor, an information exchange system, maritime traffic management, and maritime security services.
Both sides emphasized the importance of promoting joint dialogue with neighboring countries in the Persian Gulf and reaffirmed that compliance with international law and respect for the sovereignty of coastal nations are essential for managing the Strait.
Since the collapse of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the U.S. and Iran in June, Iran and Oman have been negotiating to normalize vessel operations through the Hormuz Strait. Oman has played a mediating role between the U.S. and Iran and possesses waters adjacent to the Hormuz Strait.
The Financial Times assessed this development as the first sign of negotiation progress in weeks amid diplomatic efforts by mediating countries to ease tensions surrounding the Hormuz Strait. Diplomatic officials expect that the agreement between Iran and Oman could pave the way for the U.S. and Iran to resume implementation of the existing MOU.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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