TEHRAN — Iran said on Sunday that an agreement with Oman setting new shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz was in its final stages, but warned that the strategic waterway would not reopen until the United States met additional conditions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the agreement with Oman concerned arrangements for navigation through the strait, which lies between Iran and Oman and is a major route for global energy shipments. He said the accord would establish the shipping lanes to be used once the other conditions for reopening were fulfilled, according to Iranian media.
The comments indicated that progress between Tehran and Muscat would not by itself amount to a full restoration of commercial traffic through the waterway.
Araqchi said reopening the strait would require, among other things, U.S. compensation to Iran for what Tehran describes as damage caused by U.S. military attacks. Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, separately listed demands including an end to U.S. threats and military action against Iran, the lifting of sanctions and a blockade, and the release of Iranian assets.
Iran has also said it is not prepared to hold direct talks with Washington while it considers a June interim agreement to have been violated. Araqchi said on Sunday that communications with the United States were continuing indirectly through intermediaries.
A U.S. official told Reuters on Friday that an agreement between Iran and Oman was close and could lead to the reopening of the waterway. Earlier proposals reported by Reuters suggested Tehran could receive a role in controlling vessels entering the Gulf, while disputes remained over inspection procedures and possible transit fees.
The shipping industry has raised concerns about the practicality of proposed fees and arrangements. Reuters reported that Iran was seeking fees equivalent to 5% to 7% of cargo value, while Oman had considered about 3%, and Washington opposed the imposition of such charges.
Oman and Iran have been working since June through a joint mechanism on the future administration of navigation and maritime services in the strait. In a June 23 joint statement, the two countries said arrangements would respect international law and their sovereignty over territorial waters, while reaffirming their commitment to a secure and open waterway for international navigation.
As of Sunday, no final reopening agreement had been announced, and Iran continued to link the resumption of broader shipping to conditions involving the United States.
