US, Iran and Oman near deal to reopen Strait of Hormuz with 60-day traffic plan

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3 days · 6 summary articles
The U.S., Iran and Oman are closing in on an interim agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with U.S. officials aiming for an announcement on Wednesday, according to two regional sources and a U.S. official cited by Axios .
Under the proposed 60-day arrangement, inbound ships would enter the strait through a northern lane in Iranian waters, while outbound traffic would exit via a southern lane in Omani waters, coordinated with Iran. No tolls or fees would be charged during this period, and both sides would work to clear naval mines from the median lane within 30 days, Axios reported .
U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that a deal could come “tomorrow or the next day,” telling reporters in California that negotiators “had a very good day.” He also warned Iran it would be “hit very hard” if the strait did not reopen soon, repeating his ultimatum in a Fox News interview . U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC there was “a chance we may have a deal” by Wednesday or Thursday .
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said talks with Oman on managing shipping traffic were progressing positively at technical and political levels, with both nations working to establish mechanisms that safeguard their sovereign rights and national security . Iran has sought greater control over the strait, including the power to charge tolls, which it did not exercise before the war began on Feb. 28 .
The proposed deal follows weeks of negotiations involving Oman, Iran and regional mediators, including Qatar, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi have held multiple calls in recent days, according to regional sources . Iranian leadership completed its approval process on Tuesday, the sources said.
The strait’s closure has severely disrupted global shipping. Before the conflict, 60 to 140 ships transited the waterway daily, but that number has dropped to an average of 16 per day in recent weeks, according to branch services cited by APA . On Tuesday, a merchant ship was hit by a projectile in the strait, leaving one crew member missing, while an Indian ship sank in the Red Sea following an unattributed attack .
Qatar confirmed that diplomatic efforts were ongoing but stated no direct Iran-U.S. talks were planned . U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington was involved in negotiations between Oman and Iran on increasing traffic through the strait .
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