SAEDNEWS: According to an informed source, a final agreement between Iran and Oman on transit routes through the Strait of Hormuz is expected to be announced soon in the presence of the foreign ministers of the Persian Gulf states.
According to Saednews, Iran and Oman are expected to announce a final agreement on new entry and exit routes through the Strait of Hormuz at a meeting attended by the foreign ministers of Persian Gulf countries. However, the agreement does not mean that the strait will immediately reopen, an informed source said.
According to the source, intensive technical and diplomatic negotiations between Iran and Oman concluded with a final agreement in late August. The understanding is strictly between Iran and Oman. Other countries will attend the meeting only to be informed about the details of the agreed routes and transit arrangements, allowing their tacit non-objection to be communicated to the international community.
Under the agreement, the entry route into the Persian Gulf will run entirely through Iranian territorial waters. Part of the exit route from the Persian Gulf will also pass through Iranian territorial waters. Transit along these routes will be conducted under arrangements established by Iran.
Once the agreement is implemented, the southern route—which the United States had insisted should be opened and which was a major source of recent tensions—will be closed.
In addition to Iran, Oman and other Persian Gulf littoral states, Iraq will also participate in the meeting. These countries will be briefed on the outcome of the Iran-Oman negotiations, while the technical details of the routes and transit arrangements were worked out during bilateral technical meetings between Iran and Oman.
The source emphasized that the agreement does not mean the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened immediately.
Iran has conveyed seven conditions to the United States through intermediaries for the reopening of the strait. According to the source, these conditions have been approved by Iran's highest military authorities. Until all seven conditions are implemented, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed.
The agreement therefore means that, should the strait be reopened, it will be reopened on the basis of the Iran-Oman understanding. This would represent a significant step in Iran's exercise of sovereignty over the waterway.
Ultimately, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz will depend entirely on the United States' conduct and its implementation of the conditions set by Iran.
