THE United States expects Iran and Oman to reach an agreement soon to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to unrestricted commercial shipping, potentially restoring a vital oil route disrupted by the five-month war between Washington and Tehran.
Reuters reported a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, saying negotiations between Iran and Oman had made progress and that Washington expected an agreement to be reached soon, allowing oil shipments through the strategic waterway to resume.
"There has been progress between Oman and Iran regarding the strait, and we expect an agreement to be reached soon," the official told Reuters on Friday.
The official said Washington would lift sanctions on Iranian ports once an agreement restoring unrestricted commercial navigation through the strait was announced.
"As soon as an agreement restoring unimpeded commercial shipping is announced, the United States will lift sanctions on Iranian ports," the official said.
"As always, US actions will continue to be performance-based and tied to Iran's implementation of its commitments," the official added.
Any agreement between Iran and Oman, which sit on opposite sides of the strategic waterway, could also provide momentum for a broader diplomatic settlement.
Before the United States and Israel launched their war against Iran on Feb 28, roughly one in every five barrels of oil consumed worldwide passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has since used the conflict to justify imposing tolls on oil tankers and attacking vessels attempting to cross without permission, disrupting global energy supplies.
The disruption has sent energy prices higher and fuelled inflationary pressures, adding to concerns over the impact of prolonged instability on the global economy.
The Trump administration has repeatedly signalled in recent weeks that an agreement to reopen the strait could be close, although Iran has denied that negotiations were taking place.
It remains unclear whether the latest discussions will produce a lasting arrangement governing commercial navigation through the waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
The shipping disruption has also coincided with increased attacks by Iran's ally, Yemen's Houthi movement, against vessels travelling through another major maritime route between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
The widening regional tensions have also prompted Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye to sign a mutual defence agreement in Makkah on Friday.
The agreement between the three US allies is intended to strengthen collective deterrence against aggression and provides that an armed attack on any one member would be regarded as an attack on all three, according to a joint statement.
Türkiye stressed that the pact was defensive in nature and was not directed against any particular country.
The agreement comes amid heightened tensions with Iran, a predominantly Shi'ite country.
Meanwhile, the United States is seeking to mediate an end to fighting on another front involving Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
Lebanese officials said on Friday that Lebanon and Israel had agreed on a shortlist of countries that could deploy troops to verify the dismantling of Hezbollah's weapons under a US-sponsored agreement. - August 8, 2026
