Tehran has rejected reports that it agreed to a deal dividing responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz with Oman, while Iranian officials insist the waterway remains closed unless vessels coordinate their passage with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps — a position that continues to leave roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne energy trade in limbo as Washington signals it is stepping back from a new round of military strikes.
A member of Iran’s negotiating team, quoted Sunday by the semi-official Fars News Agency, rejected an Israeli media report that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had accepted a U.S.-Qatari proposal to divide responsibility for the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman. Fars also quoted an Iranian military source as saying vessels must continue coordinating passage with the Revolutionary Guard, signaling Tehran has not publicly backed the reopening described by President Donald Trump.
The denial directly contradicts the diplomatic opening announced over the weekend. Trump said late Saturday he had postponed a planned military strike on Iran after being asked to allow more time for negotiations aimed at halting Tehran’s nuclear program and immediately reopening the Strait of Hormuz. He added that Israel supported the decision but warned military action remained an option if diplomacy failed.
Behind the scenes, Gulf governments pushed hard for restraint. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman urged Trump during a Saturday phone call to avoid further escalation, warning that major U.S. strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure could trigger retaliation against Saudi Arabia and neighboring Gulf states. Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Pakistan have also pressed both Washington and Tehran to de-escalate as regional leaders work to prevent a broader conflict.
Disagreement over how shipping would resume has remained one of the largest obstacles to any agreement. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said last week that Tehran rejected an Omani proposal to divide navigation responsibilities across the strait, instead proposing that commercial traffic temporarily pass through Iranian territorial waters. Iranian officials have also challenged the international shipping routes used before the war and maintain that transit must occur under Iranian coordination.
For businesses, the practical reality has changed little. Before fighting erupted earlier this year, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas exports passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The disruption has driven higher shipping costs, increased war-risk insurance premiums, tightened tanker capacity and kept pressure on global energy prices, costs that ultimately filter through to manufacturers, freight companies and consumers.
Oil prices remain well above prewar levels as uncertainty over the world’s most important energy chokepoint continues. Tehran’s latest rejection suggests any agreement to fully reopen the strait remains out of reach for now.
JBizNews Desk | Washington, D.C.
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