According to Iranian media, an agreement between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz is just days, if not hours, away. Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated on August 5, 2026, that “our country’s relevant authorities are considering its several dimensions—technical, legal, security, and ecological.” Environmental fees are Iran’s euphemism for tolls. Baghaei also cautioned that an agreement with Oman alone will not secure navigation through the Strait, and there remain “other factors that make [things] unsafe,” such as a naval blockade against Iran and “other invasive and threatening actions” by the United States.
“A technical agreement is a necessary condition for directing the traffic, but it is not a sufficient condition for reopening the Strait.”
Nour News, close with the Supreme National Security Council, reiterated Baghaei’s point in an editorial. It argued that the agreement with Oman concerns only operating the waterway and will not alone result in a reopening of the Strait. Unmolested transit through the Strait will depend on factors such as unfreezing Iran’s financial assets, enforcing a complete ceasefire in Lebanon, according to the June 2026 Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran, and the fulfillment of the commitments the United States made in the Islamabad agreement. “A technical agreement is a necessary condition for directing the traffic, but it is not a sufficient condition for reopening the Strait,” the editorial declared.
In a different article, Nour News cited “a knowledgeable source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” which is conducting the talks with Oman, reporting that, over a specific period, Iran will operate the entry of ships through the northern corridor into the Persian Gulf, and Iran and Oman will co-direct their exit through the southern corridor. The source added, “After the specified period, the transit of ships through both northern and southern corridors will stop, and all transits will pass through the middle corridor.” He also elaborated on the tolls. “The [toll] received from the vessels will depend on various factors, such as the type and value of the service” provided by Iran and Oman. These services include insurance, refueling, environmental services, and other naval support.
Tasnim News, close with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, published an editorial arguing that the United States cannot militarily restore the previous status quo in the Strait of Hormuz. According to the article, geography allows Iran to create chaos in the sea and, therefore, global markets. “Minesweeping, escorts, and retaliatory effects are not synonymous with returning to normal maritime conditions,” as delays, high insurance rates, and low traffic during the brief ceasefire revealed.
Either “regional and outside (the United States) powers” accept the agreement, leading to stability in the seas, or they reject it, which will delay the inevitable.
On August 5, 2026, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported that, on the eve of the April 8, 2026 ceasefire, Tehran and Muscat began talking about the future of the Strait. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Sultan Haitham bin Tariq on April 26, 2026, to talk about security concerns. Delegations continued to travel to each other’s capitals. The article posed two outcomes for the Iran-Oman agreements: Either “regional and outside (the United States) powers” accept the agreement, leading to stability in the seas, or they reject it, which will delay the inevitable, until they come to accept the reality of Iranian-Omani sovereignty over the Strait. The article concluded that “Tehran believes that its trust in America has been sacrificed to the White House’s greed,” and therefore it will not rely on the United States to enforce any agreement.
Oman has had warm relations with Iran. Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi deployed his military to put down the Dhofar rebellion in 1971, saving Sultan Qaboos, who was only a year into his rule. The 1979 revolution did not shake the relationship. Oman has acted as a mediator between Iran and the United States, hosting secret nuclear talks under the Obama administration in 2012. Oman also has allowed Iran to supply Houthis in Yemen by using Omani territory.
Oman has coastal access to the Strait of Hormuz through Madha, an exclave north of the United Arab Emirates. But the Emirates can make the operation of the Strait difficult for Oman because of geography, if it is willing to take the risk of confronting Iran. Oman is betting its relationship with the region and the United States on Iran’s reliability. This gamble will work only if the rest of the region and the United States continue to allow Oman to sign off to the final agreement.
