Proposed Hormuz deal would give Iran control of inbound traffic, sources say
A proposed deal between Iran and Oman to help end five months of war between Iran and the United States would give Tehran control over
A proposed deal between Iran and Oman to help end five months of war between Iran and the United States would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source and two regional âofficials told Reuters on Wednesday (August 5, 2026), one of the biggest concessions yet to Iran. There was no immediate U.S. comment on the proposal, â and while President Donald Trump has said a deal reopening the strait is imminent, U.S. officials have repeatedly insisted they would never agree to Iran controlling access to the worldâs most important trade route for energy supplies. An agreement that gives Iran any control over access to the strait would mean the war launched by the United States and Israel in February had resulted in a major shift in the balance of regional power in Tehranâs favour. Before the war, the strait was freely open to all ships with no fees. Iran reported âsignificant progressâ in the talks with Oman and said both inward and outward journeys would pass through Iranian waters. Unresolved issues However, the regional and Iranian sources who spoke to Reuters cautioned that significant issues remained unresolved and also pushed back against suggestions from Mr. Trump that a deal reopening the strait was imminent. âThe concession has already been made regarding some form of control over Hormuz,â â one of the regional sources told Reuters.
The other regional source said there were still details to be determined about how âcontrolâ 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 the text of an agreement already on the table envisioned Iran having control of ships heading into the Gulf through âthe strait, and one of the main sticking points was what role Iran would also have over ships heading in the opposite direction. In comments to Iranâs official IRNA news agency, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the arrangement was âdesigned in such a way that commercial ships will pass through Iranian territorial waters, both on the inbound and outbound legs of their journey.â He said the talks with Oman had âreached fundamental understandingsâ and added: âThis progress is on the verge of being finalised.â Gharibabadi also said Iran had received messages from the United States indicating that it was âfully prepared to return to its commitmentsâ under a mid-June memorandum of understanding with Iran that provided âfor immediate cessation of military operations. He said this was a condition for reopening of the strait, but not enough in itself, while adding that no talks with the United States had been held in recent days. Trump faces voter pressure Trump, who at the â start of the war said it would end in Iranâs âunconditional surrenderâ and with him approving the choice of its leader, has been under pressure to find a way out of a conflict U.S. voters oppose by two-to-one ahead of crucial midterm elections in November.
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