Iran warns Oman deal does not mean Hormuz is fully open

TEHRAN: Iran has cautioned that its emerging understanding with Oman over the management of the Strait of Hormuz should not be interpreted as a guarantee that the strategic waterway will immediately reopen to normal international shipping.

The clarification came after Iran and Oman agreed on a temporary maritime corridor intended to facilitate navigation through the strait. Iranian officials stressed that the arrangement remains limited and does not amount to a full restoration of commercial traffic.

Mukhtar Haddad, editor-in-chief of Iran’s Al-Wefaq newspaper, told Arab media that Tehran and Muscat had been discussing the management of the waterway for some time. He said the talks could lead first to a temporary agreement and eventually to a permanent arrangement, but neither step should automatically be seen as a decision to fully restore shipping.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi also sought to temper expectations, saying Tehran and Muscat had agreed on a new temporary route but that the understanding did not mean the strait would be completely and immediately reopened.

Gharibabadi said Iran remained in a state of war and had made clear to mediators that conditions during an armed conflict could not be treated in the same way as normal circumstances. He added that the United States would need to fulfil its obligations under an earlier memorandum of understanding before Iran considers fully reopening the waterway.

Under the joint Iranian-Omani framework, the proposed maritime corridor would be temporary. Russian media reported that vessels entering the Persian Gulf would pass through Iranian waters, while ships returning from the Gulf would use Omani waters.

The reported corridor would operate like a two-way maritime route and have a width of about 11.25 kilometres. Iran and Oman are expected to hold further negotiations over the next 30 to 60 days to discuss the possibility of establishing a permanent navigation arrangement.

The developments come as the Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of a wider regional security crisis. The waterway is one of the world’s most important energy routes, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, claimed that the US Navy had removed or neutralised all mines in international waters of the Strait of Hormuz. He warned that any vessel that attempted to lay new mines would be destroyed.

Despite the temporary corridor agreement, Iran’s latest statements underline that a complete reopening of Hormuz remains a separate and politically sensitive issue. For shipping companies and global energy markets, the distinction could prove crucial: a limited navigation arrangement may ease some pressure, but it does not yet signal a return to normal maritime traffic.