Tehran Control Over Inbound Commercial Ships Entering the Persian Gulf Through the Strait of Hormuz, According to a Report Citing a Senior

The draft deal, still under negotiation, would place inbound shipping under Iranian control while talks continue over outbound vessels. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state news agency IRNA that negotiators had reached "fundamental understandings" on maritime routes, with a significant portion of the new route in Iranian territorial waters and part in Omani waters. He said commercial ships would pass through Iranian territorial waters on both inbound and outbound legs, and that negotiations with Oman had made "significant progress" and were close to finalization.

US President Donald Trump, speaking to reporters in California, said an agreement could be announced soon, citing progress as the reason for canceling planned military strikes against Iran over the weekend. However, Iranian officials cautioned that negotiations remain fragile, with one source saying "the devil is in the details" and that a single tweet from Trump could cause the whole thing to collapse. Key sticking points include Iran's proposal to charge ships 5% to 7% of cargo value, while Oman has proposed around 3% and the United States wants no transit fees.

Gulf states seek regional oversight of ship inspections and want payments to remain voluntary. US officials have maintained they would not accept any arrangement giving Iran authority over access to the strait. The Strait of Hormuz previously carried about one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas shipments and has been a focal point of conflict since US and Israeli military operations against Iran began on February 28. Oil prices eased slightly on Wednesday after rising earlier following claims by Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi movement of missile attacks on a Saudi-flagged tanker in the Red Sea. The United Nations said it had not received direct confirmation of an agreement but welcomed diplomatic efforts, with deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq saying, We certainly encourage the parties to move forward with any effort to have a negotiated solution to the issue.