Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran
Tehran, Aug 17: Iran on Monday said it is working with Oman to finalise a joint statement on a plan to manage the transit of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, as a 60-day deadline for reaching a peace agreement between Iran and the United States expired without a deal.
Iranian Foreign Affairs spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said an understanding had been reached with Oman regarding the route that ships would use to transit the strategic waterway.
“An understanding has been reached regarding the map of the transit route,” Baghaei told reporters in Tehran.
He said the two countries were working to finalise the understanding as a package comprising the transit map and a joint statement.
Details that have previously emerged suggest the proposed arrangement would allow ships to enter the Strait of Hormuz through a route close to Iran and exit through a route close to Oman. Ships would reportedly be allowed to transit without paying fees or tolls during the interim period.
The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran and Oman, is one of the world's most important energy corridors. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of the world's traded oil supplies passed through the waterway.
Iran effectively closed the strait to commercial shipping after Israel and the United States attacked the country on February 28. Fully reopening the waterway has been a key demand of Washington, although it remains unclear whether the proposed Iran-Oman arrangement would meet US requirements.
Baghaei acknowledged that negotiations with Oman had progressed slowly but said Tehran remained committed to finalising the agreement.
The announcement came as the 60-day negotiating period aimed at reaching an agreement to end the war between Iran and the US expired. There was no immediate indication that the deadline would be extended, with the two sides appearing to remain far apart.
Meanwhile, wider diplomatic efforts continued in the Middle East, with US President Donald Trump's son-in-law and negotiator Jared Kushner holding meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over a proposed roadmap for Gaza.
Kushner's discussions with Netanyahu followed talks with Hamas chief Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on the issue of disarmament.
Hamas has agreed to a 15-point, US-backed roadmap and urged mediators and the US-created Board of Peace to pressure Israel to accept the proposal. Israel, however, has insisted that Hamas must fully disarm before any Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.
Under the proposed roadmap, Israeli forces would be required to withdraw from Gaza. Israeli troops currently control about 60 per cent of the territory, while Netanyahu has previously threatened to advance further.