US official confirms progress in Oman-Iran talks to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, noting Washington will lift its blockade once a deal is finalized.
Published: Aug 7, 2026, 10:50 PM (GMT+3)
Oil tanker in Strait of HormuziStock
Diplomatic negotiations involving Oman and Iran regarding the Strait of Hormuz have made measurable headway, with an agreement expected shortly, a US official informed Reuters on Friday.
Following a public announcement confirming the unhindered restoration of commercial maritime transit, the United States intends to remove its naval blockade against Iranian harbor facilities, said the official.
However, the official emphasized that American policy changes remain performance-contingent and strictly tied to Tehran’s adherence to its obligations.
The statement follows a Thursday report from MS NOW, citing two Middle Eastern diplomats, indicating that Muscat and Tehran established a framework formula aimed at temporarily reopening the vital waterway.
While foreign envoys withheld specific provisions or remaining friction points, an Iranian official connected to the proceedings told MS NOW on Thursday morning that the blueprint designates separate navigational corridors. Commercial ships entering the Persian Gulf would navigate via an Iranian-supervised lane, whereas outgoing maritime traffic would utilize an Omani-controlled route.
According to the Iranian representative, the arrangement omits transit fees for merchant vessels seeking safe passage – a demand Tehran previously attempted to secure. Framed as a “temporary agreement,” the blueprint is intended to lay the groundwork for Washington and Tehran to enact a fresh ceasefire and restart nuclear negotiations.
Earlier bilateral talks, initiated in mid-June, collapsed following regional retaliatory strikes that resulted in the deaths of four American service members stationed in Jordan.
The Iranian official stated that both the United States and the United Nations International Maritime Organization are slated to participate in the formal rollout of the accord. Additionally, a separate Gulf government official familiar with the discussions confirmed to MS NOW that member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council have endorsed the proposal.
Speaking to journalists Thursday afternoon in the Oval Office, Trump remarked that the passage is “sort of open right now,” while observing that the US continues to enforce its naval blockade.
US military boards tanker to enforce Iranian naval blockade
- Gulf States back Oman’s Hormuz plan with Iran
- Oman and Iran reach framework to temporarily reopen Hormuz
- Iran shuts down reports of US negotiations
“I think we’re doing fine,” he added, subsequently noting that an official update regarding the corridor “could be soon.”
Earlier in the week, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio noted that discussions regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz yielded encouraging movement, though formal closure remained pending, stating that “there’s been progress made in those talks, but not finality yet. We’re hoping that will happen very shortly.”
(Arutz Sheva-Israel National News’ North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)
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