A proposed agreement between Iran and Oman would allow Tehran to oversee ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a senior Iranian source and two regional officials cited by Reuters on Wednesday. The move would mark one of the biggest concessions made to Iran, despite efforts to address its demands. However, the sources rejected claims by US President Donald Trump that a deal to reopen the strategic waterway was close, saying several key issues still needed to be resolved. “The concession has already been made regarding some form of control over Hormuz,” one of the regional sources told Reuters. The other regional source said there were still details to be determined about how “control” would be defined, with Gulf negotiators insisting regional countries supervise inspections of ships, and that any payment of fees be voluntary. The senior Iranian source said that the text of an agreement already on the table envisioned Iran having control of ships heading into the Gulf through the strait, and that one of the main sticking points was what role Iran would also have over ships heading in the opposite direction. There was no immediate reply from Washington to the disclosures about the proposed agreement. US officials have repeatedly insisted that they would never accept any arrangement that lets Iran control access to the world’s most important trade route for energy supplies. But Trump and senior officials in his administration have said in recent days that a deal is imminent to end the war he launched in February and which polls show most US voters oppose.
Proposed Hormuz agreement could give Iran control over inbound maritime traffic
