IRAN and Oman are nearing an agreement on a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, but Tehran has warned that any arrangement will not be enough to reopen the strategic waterway unless the United States meets additional conditions, including compensating Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said the two countries were "very close" to an agreement on a new route through the strait, but reopening the waterway would depend on other outstanding issues, including compensation from Washington.
Reuters reported the development came as the United Arab Emirates said Iran had struck a vessel affiliated with the UAE's state oil company with a missile while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
No injuries were reported, while the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said a vessel had caught fire after being hit by an unidentified projectile. The fire was subsequently extinguished and no environmental impact was reported.
There was no immediate response from Iranian authorities to the UAE's allegation.
The Strait of Hormuz, which separates Iran and Oman, has become a critical point in efforts to end the conflict that began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.
The waterway previously carried about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments, but shipping has been severely disrupted since Iran established control over access through the strait.
Araqchi said the existing traffic separation scheme was no longer acceptable to Tehran, adding that Iran was discussing a temporary route with Oman while technical and legal issues surrounding a permanent arrangement were resolved.
Oman said negotiations with Iran on arrangements for shipping through the strait had been "positive and constructive", while condemning what it described as repeated attacks on vessels transiting the waterway without assigning blame.
"Oman stresses the importance of avoiding any actions that could affect these negotiations and the progress achieved in a manner that takes into account the interests of all parties," the Omani Foreign Ministry said.
Iranian officials, however, made clear that a shipping agreement with Oman would not by itself be sufficient to restore unrestricted passage.
Mohammad Baqer Zolqadr, secretary of Iran's top national security body, said Tehran's other demands included an end to US threats and military action against Iran and its regional allies, the lifting of the blockade and sanctions on Iran, and the release of Iranian assets.
Iranian Revolutionary Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said reopening the strait depended on Washington accepting Tehran's conditions rather than the outcome of the Iran-Oman negotiations.
"Whenever the United States accepts Iran’s conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will certainly be reopened," he said, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency.
The position contrasts with comments by a US official who said Washington expected an agreement between Iran and Oman soon, allowing normal oil traffic through the strait to resume.
"Once the deal is announced to restore commercial shipping without impediments, the United States will lift the blockade of Iranian ports," the official told Reuters, adding that US action would depend on Iran implementing its commitments.
US Central Command said it had allowed more than 30 vessels carrying humanitarian aid to pass through since the current blockade began. It said US forces had turned away 53 vessels, disabled two and boarded two others.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said he believed the time was right for an agreement, describing Iran as united and strong despite the conflict.
The prolonged disruption to shipping has also intensified economic pressure on Iran, where food and other essential goods have risen sharply in price since the conflict began.
The Trump administration has repeatedly signalled that an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be imminent, only for Tehran to deny that negotiations were under way.
A proposed Iran-Oman arrangement reported earlier this week would give Tehran control over ships entering the Gulf through the strait, according to a senior Iranian source and two regional officials.
Such an arrangement would represent a major concession to Iran, although US officials have repeatedly said Washington would not accept Tehran controlling access to the world's most important energy shipping route.
The uncertainty over the strait has disrupted global energy supplies, pushed up energy prices and added to inflationary pressures worldwide. - August 9, 2026
