Trump says Iran talks set for Monday as Tehran nears Hormuz route deal with Oman
Iran says negotiations with Oman over a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz are in their final stages, while Donald Trump announced that US-Iran talks would begin on Monday afternoon.
Negotiations with Oman
Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi told a cabinet meeting on Sunday that negotiations with Oman over shipping in the Strait of Hormuz were "in the final stages", according to state news agency IRNA. Foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Tehran and Muscat were close to a deal on a new maritime route, separate from existing corridors.
We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides - neither the northern route nor the southern route - but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security.
Oman, whose territorial waters border the strait alongside Iran's, did not immediately comment. The strait normally carries about 20 percent of global oil consumption, making it a critical chokepoint.
Trump's Monday talks
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had asked for time to complete a deal that would lead to "the immediate, complete and total" reopening of the strait and "an end to Iran's nuclear threat." He told reporters on Sunday that negotiations would begin on Monday afternoon, without providing details on location or participants, and declined to set a deadline for an agreement. Trump had earlier claimed he called off an imminent attack on Iran in the hope of quickly reaching a deal. The UK Maritime Trade Operations centre reported an explosion near a tanker in the area on Sunday, but said the vessel and crew were safe. Shipping data showed traffic in the strait had slowed after reports of vessel attacks. Further south, two tankers laden with Saudi oil crossed the Bab el-Mandeb strait over the weekend despite Houthi threats against oil exports in the Red Sea.
Background of the conflict
The war started on 28 February when the US and Israel launched strikes aimed at destroying Iran's missile programme, preventing a nuclear weapon and cutting off support for allied armed groups. A June ceasefire collapsed within weeks over disputes about shipping routes through Hormuz, and fighting reignited in July. Mediators Pakistan and Qatar helped broker a 14-point memorandum of understanding on 17 June in Islamabad, which was supposed to lead to a permanent peace within 60 days and a gradual return of shipping to pre-war levels. That deal unravelled after Iran attacked vessels using the southern route along Oman's coastline, calling it "unauthorised." The US retaliated with strikes, and Iran fired missiles and drones at bases hosting American forces. A brief pause in fighting followed as diplomatic efforts intensified.
- US and Israel launch strikes on Iran, war begins
- US and Iran sign 14-point MoU in Islamabad
- Ceasefire collapses, fighting reignites over Hormuz shipping routes
- Iran says Oman deal in final stages
- Trump says US-Iran talks to begin Monday
The route dispute
Baghaei insisted that any new route agreement with Oman did not mean the strait would reopen or return to its pre-28 February status. He blamed the US for the closure, citing its naval blockade and "hostile measures" against Iran.
The strait was closed because of the United States' breach of its commitments, its naval blockade of Iran and all the hostile measures that the United States has taken against the Islamic Republic of Iran during this period.
Iran has sought to retain control over the chokepoint as its main source of leverage. The southern route, which traces Oman's coast, has been a particular point of contention. Baghaei said Tehran would not allow ships to use it, describing it as "unsafe and harmful to our security and national interests." The new route is intended to be a compromise that respects both countries' sovereignty, but details remain unclear.
What's next
Iranian MP Hassan Ghaschghawi, spokesman for parliament's national security commission, said mediators were trying to revive the June MoU and that an Iranian delegation might travel to Muscat again. He noted that Hormuz remained the central issue. Trump's Monday talks, if they proceed, could test whether a broader de-escalation is possible. However, with Iran insisting the strait will never return to its pre-war status and the US demanding full reopening, the path to a lasting agreement remains uncertain.
