The Iranian Foreign Ministry stated Sunday evening that negotiations with Oman on transit through the Strait of Hormuz are in their final stages. The ministry added that the understandings between the two countries on managing the strait will not determine whether it is open or closed.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed Sunday evening that negotiations with Oman on transit through the Strait of Hormuz are in their final stages, and explicitly stated that the resulting understandings will not determine whether the waterway is open or closed. The statement, issued by the ministry itself, echoes and reinforces earlier remarks by Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei, who at 20:05 Jerusalem time described the talks as focused on a joint mechanism and noted that a new route understanding does not affect the strait's operational status. The ministry's wording appears to separate the management talks from the broader question of reopening, a matter tied to the wider diplomatic framework.
The Sunday evening flurry of statements began at 19:36 Jerusalem, when Iranian state media reported that the Foreign Ministry had stated the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its pre-war status. Minutes later, the FM spokesman confirmed that negotiations with Oman are in final stages and that the new route understanding does not affect the strait's status. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi then echoed that the strait will not revert to its pre-war condition. The Zioneer reported at 20:05 the spokesman's remarks via IRNA. The latest ministry statement, coming after these reports, adds the explicit clarification that the management understandings will not decide the waterway's open or closed status.
The Zioneer has previously reported on Iran's strategy to formalize joint sovereignty over the strait with Oman. On June 12, Araghchi detailed plans for a joint declaration and a toll system for navigation. On June 23, Iran and Oman reiterated their sovereign rights over the strait. Internal Iranian debate has been documented: on June 13, Iranian political figure Nabavian warned that the draft agreement's clause on reopening the strait lacks clear language preserving Iranian control, raising concerns that a temporary reopening under vague terms could erode Tehran's long-standing claim of authority.
What remains open: The full text of the memorandum with Oman has not been published, leaving the specific conditions of the management plan unverified. The reopening of the strait itself is not addressed in these talks, as it is tied to the broader diplomatic framework involving the United States and other parties. Reports of internal Iranian opposition, including the IRGC twice rejecting a proposed compromise, suggest that the negotiations remain politically sensitive within Tehran.
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