Iran and Oman completed a draft agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, leaving final implementation dependent on authorization from Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Reports published by the Associated Press indicate that while technical provisions have been structured, political authorization inside Tehran remains pending.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian publicly acknowledged domestic leadership friction during a televised interview on Iranian state television on Wednesday evening.
President Pezeshkian conceded that dealings with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei have been very difficult during recent internal deliberations.
Under the provisions of the draft proposal, ships entering the Persian Gulf would utilize a transit corridor supervised by Iranian authorities, while outbound vessels would navigate a parallel lane monitored by Oman.
The agreement also establishes service fees to be collected from commercial vessels navigating through the waterway, though negotiators note that disputes regarding the formal definition of maritime jurisdiction remain unresolved.
The diplomatic initiative aims to reduce regional security risks and establish conditions to resume broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran regarding nuclear capabilities.
Simultaneously, Iranian diplomatic channels issued direct warnings to neighboring Gulf states, stating that any military strikes launched against Iranian territory from regional bases would trigger retaliatory attacks against local energy infrastructure.
President Donald Trump stated that an agreement could be signed in the coming days, while reiterating that failure to reach a deal would prompt a decisive military response.
Concurrently, Houthi forces in Yemen announced an attack on a Saudi oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden, claiming the strike was part of their declared maritime blockade.
According to reporting published by Kikar HaShabbat, diplomatic negotiators continue working to finalize terminology before the draft is presented for formal signature.
