The United States, Iran, and Oman are approaching an interim agreement that would grant Iran de facto control over incoming traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, according to reporting from Axios correspondent Barak Ravid cited by Kikar HaShabbat. Senior U.S. officials and intermediary sources indicate an announcement of the accord could come imminently.
The agreement, negotiated over recent weeks, is intended to restore a ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran while laying groundwork for nuclear talks, while addressing Iran's core demand for expanded authority over maritime traffic through the strategic waterway that handles roughly one-third of global seaborne oil trade.
The accord grants Iran formal control, with U.S. approval, over access to the Strait for incoming vessels. This arrangement effectively permits Iran to prevent ships from entering the Strait and accessing international waters, a posture that critics argue violates international maritime law and fundamentally alters the balance of power in the Persian Gulf.
Key Terms of the Interim Accord, per Kikar HaShabbat:
Incoming ships transiting the Strait toward the Persian Gulf will route through Iranian territorial waters. Outgoing ships leaving the Gulf will pass through Omani waters "in coordination with Iran," granting Tehran indirect control over exit traffic as well. The arrangement includes a 60-day trial period with potential extension. During the initial 60 days, no transit fees or service charges will be levied. Both parties commit to clearing mines from the central shipping channel within 30 days. Once cleared, the central channel will serve both incoming and outgoing traffic. Oman and Iran will conduct negotiations on a permanent arrangement governing future ship traffic through Hormuz.
Although the agreement stipulates Iran will not collect formal transit fees during the 60-day period, analysts noted that Iran has reportedly already charged vessels informal "passage fees" during recent months—fees collected outside formal mechanisms and thus not technically violating prior commitments. The same dynamic is expected to resume once the temporary period expires.
In effect, the arrangement grants Iran the authority to levy charges on commercial shipping—something the U.S. has previously resisted—while providing a veneer of international legitimacy through Omani mediation. Once the 60-day trial concludes, Iran will be positioned to extract financial tolls from the shipping traffic it now effectively controls.
The agreement represents Iran's core strategic objective: formal recognition of its right to regulate Strait access and monetize that access by charging vessels for passage. The U.S. concession on this point marks a significant shift from the Trump administration's prior stated commitment to freedom of navigation and open access to international waterways.
For regional actors, the accord signals a structural reconfiguration of power in the Persian Gulf. Iran gains leverage to threaten closure of the Strait if its political or economic demands are not met, a coercive tool it can wield against Western powers, gulf allies, and global energy markets dependent on Hormuz traffic.
The agreement also reflects the broader reality of the current Iran-U.S. dynamic: after months of military escalation, both sides are now converging on a diplomatic settlement that, from Iran's perspective, resolves the immediate conflict while cementing strategic gains Iran pursued throughout the conflict.
For Israel and its allies monitoring Iran policy, the accord highlights the U.S. willingness to accept Iranian regional positioning gains in exchange for de-escalation, a pattern that has emerged repeatedly during the 2026 Iran negotiations cycle.
