Iran and Oman have reached an understanding on the geographic coordinates for a \u200bshipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, and \u200ca joint announcement is being finalised, provided certain third parties do not interfere, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on \u200bWednesday.<\/p>\n
Baghaei added that any such agreement between Iran \u200band Oman would not, by itself, guarantee security \u2060in the strategic waterway.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0proposed deal between Iran and \u200bOman\u00a0would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf \u200bthrough the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source and two regional officials told\u00a0Reuters\u00a0on Wednesday, in one of the \u200bbiggest concessions yet to Iran.<\/p>\n
Despite the apparent step towards \u200byielding to Iranian demands, the sources pushed back against assertions by \u200cUnited States\u00a0\u2060President Donald Trump that a deal reopening the strait was imminent, saying important details still had to be agreed upon.<\/p>\n
Baghaei described the negotiations \u200bbetween Tehran and \u200bMuscat as “professional” \u2060and “moving forward”, saying “the two sides had reached a mutual understanding on the geographical parameters \u200bof the route under discussion”.<\/p>\n
Baghaei added that, \u200bif \u2060some third parties do not obstruct the process, the joint statement between the two countries, containing the main considerations \u2060and \u200bkey points of understanding, was in \u200bthe final stages of review and drafting.<\/p>\n
Earlier, a\u00a0senior Iranian diplomatic source said\u00a0that issues between Tehran and Muscat about reopening the Strait of Hormuz \u201cdo not appear to be particularly complex\u201d,\u00a0Al Jazeera\u00a0reported.<\/p>\n
\u201cProvided there is no malign interference by other parties, an agreement could be reached as early as today or tomorrow,\u201d the source added.<\/p>\n
The diplomatic source also said the Strait of Hormuz has not been closed due to the differences between Iran and Oman.<\/p>\n
“Therefore, any closure or reopening of the strait will depend on any actions by the US that are deemed to violate international law”, the source stated.<\/p>\n
Iranian security chief says US will be ‘expelled from region, countries hosting their terrorist bases’<\/p>\n
Chairman of the National Security Committee of the Iranian Parliament Ebrahim Azizi said on X that the day when US forces will be expelled from the region and from the countries that are hosting their bases “is not far off.”<\/p>\n
“It is not far off, the day when you will be expelled not only from the region, but from all the countries that today host your terrorist bases.”<\/p>\n
He added that it would be the day when they “will be forced to spend all the funds of your bases on providing security in your own territory.”<\/p>\n
Iran-Oman agreement on Hormuz will not mean opening of strait if US violations continue<\/p>\n
Press TV\u00a0and\u00a0Al Jazeera\u00a0reported that any agreement between Iran and Oman on future shipping arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz would not lead to the immediate reopening of the strategic waterway.<\/p>\n
Citing Iran\u2019s state broadcaster\u00a0IRIB, Al Jazeera\u00a0said that the source stated negotiations on future navigation arrangements are being conducted exclusively between Tehran and Muscat and \u201chave nothing to do with the United States\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe possible agreement between Iran and Oman on the arrangements for vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz has nothing to do with the immediate opening of this strait,\u201d the source added.<\/p>\n
Even if Iran and Oman reach an agreement, the strait will remain closed as long as what Tehran describes as \u201cUS violations\u201d continue, according to the report.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe reopening of the Strait of Hormuz depends on a change in US behaviour and the correction of its violations,\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n
The remarks also followed reports in Iranian media that Tehran was close to reaching an understanding with Muscat on a new navigation corridor, provided the US stopped interfering in the negotiations.<\/p>\n
UN ‘alarmed’ by surge in Iran executions since March<\/p>\n
UN rights chief Volker Turk said Wednesday he was “alarmed” by the rise in executions and death sentences issued in Iran since March, with capital punishment used to “instil fear”.<\/p>\n
“Since March 19, 2026, at least 56 people have been executed on national security-related charges, including 27 individuals in cases linked to protests at the start of the year,” Turk said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Yemen\u2019s Houthis claim ballistic missile strike on Saudi oil tanker in Red Sea<\/p>\n
Yemen\u2019s Houthi group claimed on Wednesday that it struck the Saudi oil tanker Wafaa with several ballistic missiles in the northern Red Sea off the coast of Yanbu.<\/p>\n
The group\u2019s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said in a statement on X that the missiles hit the tanker \u201caccurately.\u201d<\/p>\n
Saree said the attack was part of what the group calls its maritime blockade of Saudi Arabia and its \u201cblockade for blockade\u201d strategy.<\/p>\n
The attack brought to eight the number of Saudi oil tankers targeted by the group since the blockade began July 22, he said.<\/p>\n
Saree also claimed that 29 Saudi oil tankers had either been prevented from passing through the Red Sea and Arabian Sea or forced to turn back.<\/p>\n
He said Saudi Arabia had redirected its oil tankers to the northern Red Sea after the group succeeded in imposing what it described as a blockade from the Bab al-Mandab Strait.<\/p>\n
Saree vowed that the group would continue and intensify attacks on Saudi oil tankers in the northern Red Sea to block maritime access routes and prevent their passage, \u201cregardless of the consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was no immediate comment from Saudi authorities on the claims.<\/p>\n
Trump’s approach to negotiations \u2018contradictory and unreliable\u2019, says Iranian MP<\/p>\n
A member of the Iranian parliament\u2019s national security committee called Trump\u2019s approach to negotiations with Iran \u201ccontradictory and unreliable,\u201d\u00a0Al Jazeera\u00a0reported, citing\u00a0IRIB.<\/p>\n
Esmail Kowsari told Iranian broadcaster\u00a0IRIB\u00a0that Trump claimed 75 times that the Strait of Hormuz was open, when it actually wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
Kowsari also said Trump has spoken of \u201cIran\u2019s defeat\u201d 106 times and claimed an \u201cimminent deal\u201d with Tehran 88 times.<\/p>\n
\u2018US interference\u2019 delaying Strait of Hormuz deal with Oman: Iranian media<\/p>\n
An informed Iranian source said on Wednesday that \u201cUS interference\u201d and threats by US President Donald Trump are the main reasons for delays in reaching an agreement with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz, according to a local media report.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe main reason for the delay in the agreement with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz is US interference and Trump\u2019s threats,\u201d the source told the\u00a0Iranian Sepah News.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs long as there is US interference and the threat of a military attack on Iran, the agreement will be delayed,\u201d the source said, adding: \u201cIran will not reach any agreement under the shadow of threats.\u201d<\/p>\n
This comes a day after Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran\u2019s talks with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz continue \u201cpositively.\u201d<\/p>\n
Yemen’s Houthis say they attacked Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu<\/p>\n
Yemen’s Houthis said on Wednesday they had attacked a Saudi oil tanker with missiles off the coast of the Saudi port city of Yanbu.<\/p>\n
The group’s military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, did not say when the attack took place.<\/p>\n
Trump says Strait of Hormuz to open ‘very soon,’ warns Iran of ‘very hard’ response if talks fail<\/p>\n
Trump said on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen “very soon” as negotiations with Iran continue while warning Tehran that the United States would take strong military action if a deal is not reached.<\/p>\n
“The Strait is going to be open very soon \u2014 or they’re gonna hit very hard, and then the Strait is going to be open,” he told\u00a0Fox News.<\/p>\n
Trump said he had previously been prepared to launch a major attack against Iran but agreed to negotiations after Iranian officials requested talks.<\/p>\n
“We were going to a tremendous attack, the biggest since World War II, and they called me and said, very politely, ‘Please, can we talk? Can we talk?’… I said, ‘Yes, we can talk. Let’s get it done. Finally, let’s get it done,'” he added.<\/p>\n
The president said Iran would face a severe response if it abandoned negotiations, reiterating that Tehran cannot be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n
“If they back out again, they’re going to get hit really hard. They know that; they understand that. I have no choice. They can’t have a nuclear weapon. It’s very simple,” he said.<\/p>\n
Trump said US and Iranian officials were engaged in “very good discussions,” though he acknowledged that Tehran has not publicly confirmed the progress.<\/p>\n
“The only thing that matters is action, and they want to make a deal. We’ll see what happens,” he said. \u201cIf they don’t make a deal, it’s going to be too bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
Oil prices fell, and stocks jumped in Asian trade on Wednesday after Wall Street hit record highs on hopes that a deal could soon be reached to restore traffic through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.<\/p>\n
\u2018They had an all-day negotiation today\u2019<\/p>\n
Trump said there was an “all-day negotiation” on Tuesday with Iran.<\/p>\n
“They had an all-day negotiation today, and it looks like things are very good. And if that happens, where the Strait has opened up … but if the Strait opens up, and it’s partially opened anyway, and as you know, we control the Strait totally through the blockade. But if we have no friction, then oil will go down to, I think it’ll go down to $2.50 a gallon,” he added, referring to retail gas prices.<\/p>\n
Trump said that the oil companies have got to start lowering gas prices.<\/p>\n
Later, speaking to reporters in the state of California, he said the US is “moving along very nicely” with Iran.<\/p>\n
“We’re moving along very nicely. We’ll find out. We’ll know in 48 hours,” he added.<\/p>\n
The US, Iran and Oman are nearing an interim agreement aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz and restoring a ceasefire between Washington and Tehran, with a possible announcement expected as early as Wednesday, the\u00a0Axios\u00a0news site reported Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Earlier Tuesday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington and Tehran have yet to finalise talks on passage through crucial international waterways, but he hopes an agreement will come \u201cvery shortly.\u201d<\/p>\n
Read:\u00a0Pakistan, Qatar preparing document for reopening Hormuz amid indirect US-Iran contacts: sources<\/p>\n
However, Iranian state media, citing an informed source, said an agreement with Oman on the strait, which normally carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, will be delayed “as long as the United States continues to threaten Iran.”<\/p>\n
Qatar also cites progress in talks<\/p>\n
Trump has yet to achieve the objectives he set out at the start of the war: dismantling Iran’s nuclear programme, curbing its ability to attack regional rivals and creating conditions for Iranians to overthrow their clerical rulers.<\/p>\n
Iran has halted most traffic through Hormuz while Washington maintains a blockade of Iran-related shipping and ports.<\/p>\n
Qatar had earlier said mediators were making progress in efforts to end the conflict, even after Tehran denied that talks were underway.<\/p>\n
Trump and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed efforts to narrow differences between Washington and Tehran and improve the prospects for a lasting settlement during a phone call on Tuesday, Qatar’s Emiri office said.<\/p>\n
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmaeil Baghaei, said talks with Oman over transit through the strait were positive and continuing, and were focused on establishing safe shipping lanes, state media reported. He added the route being negotiated was aimed at ensuring the sovereign rights and national security of both Iran and Oman.<\/p>\n
Read more:\u00a0How Iran is widening its pressure campaign to force US concessions<\/p>\n
Iran has long demanded control over the Strait of Hormuz, which it says it should share with Oman on the opposite shore. But Tehran rejected an Omani proposal last week that would have allowed shared oversight and the collection of voluntary fees from ships.<\/p>\n
Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis have also imposed a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea, further restricting oil export routes. A projectile struck an Indian-flagged vessel near Yemen, causing it to capsize and sink, but all 14 seafarers on board were rescued, Indian officials said, in an attack Yemen blamed on the Houthis.<\/p>\n
The United Nations’ International Maritime Organisation has reported at least 17 deaths of seafarers from 64 incidents in the Strait of Hormuz since the war started on February 28.<\/p>\n
Those are in addition to the Iranian government’s toll of 50 people killed and 500 wounded by US strikes since hostilities renewed in late June, a figure reported before Iran said a US strike on Qeshm in late July killed a husband and wife and their 2-year-old son.<\/p>\n
In all, 3,400 civilian deaths in Iran and thousands more in Lebanon have been recorded since the US and Israel launched the war on February 28, while the US has reported 18 military personnel dead.<\/p>\n
Israeli officials question Trump’s push for Iran deal, say Washington seeks agreement ‘at any cost’<\/p>\n
Israeli officials have expressed scepticism over the latest US diplomatic efforts with Iran, arguing that President Donald Trump and his advisers are pursuing an agreement “at any cost,” according to Israeli broadcaster\u00a0Channel 12.<\/p>\n
Citing a senior Israeli official, the report said there is growing uncertainty in Tel Aviv over Trump’s approach toward Tehran.<\/p>\n
“The distance between peace and war with Trump is the distance between the letters T, R and U on the keyboard,” the official told\u00a0Channel 12, suggesting that US policy could shift rapidly.<\/p>\n
According to the broadcaster, Washington has not been directly briefing Israel on negotiations with Iran concerning the Strait of Hormuz, leaving Israeli authorities to obtain most updates through indirect channels.<\/p>\n
Channel 12\u00a0reported that Israeli officials privately mocked the renewed diplomatic push, saying any potential agreement could regulate operations in the strategic waterway and pave the way for Washington and Tehran to restore a previous understanding.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Iran and Oman have reached an understanding on the geographic coordinates for a \u200bshipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, and \u200ca joint announcement is being finalised, provided certain third parties do not interfere, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on \u200bWednesday. Baghaei added that any such agreement between Iran \u200band Oman would not, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4689,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4683","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-world"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4683","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4683"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4683\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4690,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4683\/revisions\/4690"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4689"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4683"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4683"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pakistantimesusa.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4683"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}