President Donald Trump said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come within days, but an emerging agreement first reported by The New York Times late Monday could reopen one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints while leaving Iran with greater influence over the strategic waterway than it had before the U.S.-Iran war.
The Times reported late Monday that Iranian and U.S. officials said Iran and Oman are moving toward an agreement that would allow commercial shipping to resume through the strait, though the two sides sharply disagree over what the arrangement would require.
According to the Times, Iranian officials said inbound vessels would use a shipping lane along Iran’s coastline while outbound traffic would move through a channel closer to Oman.
Iranian officials told the newspaper the arrangement would not include formal tolls but would impose a "service fee" to cover security, environmental protection and staffing, with revenues divided equally between Iran and Oman.
Those same Iranian officials told the New York Post the proposed arrangement would be temporary, lasting one to three months while broader negotiations continue over a lasting settlement.
A U.S. official familiar with the negotiations disputed Iran’s account, telling the Times that any temporary shipping routes would not require Iranian permission and would involve no tolls or fees.
Oman has described itself as a neutral mediator seeking to preserve freedom of navigation under international law while helping broker an agreement between Washington and Tehran, according to the Associated Press.
Speaking Monday at the White House, Trump suggested a breakthrough could come quickly.
"You’ll find out today or tomorrow," Trump said, according to the Times. "They’re going to go quickly one way or the other. It’s not very complex."
Trump added that the strait could reopen "literally by tomorrow," saying, "The first phase is the opening of the straits. The second phase will be the denuclearization."
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