Iran and Oman may have moved a small step closer to an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes.
In a joint statement, the countries’ foreign ministers said they had “discussed a framework agreement that can gradually form a feasible basis to move forward.” According to the written statement, that framework includes a corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement to jointly clear all mines in the strait.
Negotiations will continue, the ministers said, with the aim of establishing a “permanent corridor and future administration for the strait,” along with a mechanism for sharing information between the two sides. The language suggests a phased approach rather than a single comprehensive deal.
Both governments also emphasized the importance of discussing the issue with all countries that have a coastline on the Persian Gulf, an acknowledgment that any lasting arrangement for the waterway would need broader regional buy-in.
The statement came just hours after US President Donald Trump claimed on Truth Social that all mines in the strait had already been cleared, a characterization that sat awkwardly against the two governments’ description of mine clearance as a task still to be jointly carried out. The gap between the two accounts underscores how contested the situation in the strait remains, even as Tehran and Muscat signal a willingness to negotiate its future management.
