The Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that talks with Oman to exert permanent control over the Strait of Hormuz are making progress, as are efforts to forge a close partnership with Pakistan — which was, until very recently, billing itself as a neutral mediator in the conflict between the U.S. and Iran.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqaei said there has been “positive” movement in discussions with Oman over controlling the Strait of Hormuz – with an eye toward extorting “fees” from international shipping through the vital waterway.
“The talks, which are being held between the two coastal states of the Strait of Hormuz, are focused on establishing safe shipping routes while safeguarding the sovereign rights and security interests of Iran and Oman alike,” he said.
Baqaei, like other Iranian officials, insisted these talks are “bilateral” discussions between Tehran and Muscat, and do not involve the United States in any way.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he was calling off devastating strikes against Iran – the heaviest bombardment “seen since World War II” – because Iran and “other Middle Eastern countries” asked him to give negotiations another chance.
Trump said there was a “deal on Hormuz” on the table, and it “would include the immediate, complete, and total opening of the Hormuz Strait.”
“We’re talking about the opening of the Strait, having it open literally by tomorrow, completely open. That’s phase one, and phase two is we then will talk about the nuclear,” the president repeated on Monday.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz is effectively open now, and the U.S. is involved in three-way talks with Oman and Iran to keep it that way.
“There are ships moving through the Straits. There’s oil moving right now through the Straits. The Straits are open,” Rubio said.
“Nonetheless, I think that there’s a conversation and a negotiation that we are involved in between Oman and Iran on how more ships can be able to go through there safely in the short term as we move towards these longer-term talks about denuclearization,” he added.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said the U.S. was ‘in talks with the Iranians” to “open the Strait and move towards a more normalized position in this conflict.”
Iranian officials insist their only “deal” is with Oman, and that the two nations are close to an agreement in which Tehran would have perpetual control over the Strait of Hormuz, with Oman as a junior partner.
Iran reportedly rejected a proposal from Oman to jointly “manage” traffic through the strait, with both nations collecting “fees” for imaginary services provided to oil tankers, because the plan would have given Oman too much control over its own territorial waters – and Iran wants the power to shut down the entire Strait when it desires. Iran also does not want ships to hug the Omani coast and avoid the ransoms Tehran is planning to extort.
Iran’s preferred scheme, revealed to foreign journalists on Monday, is for ships departing the Persian Gulf to use Oman’s side of the strait, while Iran controls all inbound traffic. This would make it impossible for Oman to bypass Iranian piracy by allowing traffic in both directions to use Oman’s waters.
A Pakistani source told The National on Wednesday that Pakistan and other “intermediaries” are “working on drafting an updated Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that would be focused on “opening the Strait of Hormuz and keeping it open.”
“Messages are being passed. Indirect talks are in an advanced stage,” the Pakistani source said.
Regional sources and a U.S. official said the rebooted MOU would resemble the original June agreement in some crucial respects, including a 60-day toll-free reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran violated the previous agreement by launching murderous terror attacks at civilian ships in the strait.
The new MOU would reportedly accept Iran’s scheme for inbound traffic to use Iranian waters, while outbound ships from the Persian Gulf would use the Omani side of the strait. Only the first 60 days of the arrangement would be explicitly free of tolls, fees, and ransoms.
The Pakistani official told The National that Persian Gulf states, collectively known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), “would prefer everything to be explicit in any agreement.” U.S. negotiators are seeking guarantees that the Strait will remain open, while Iranian officials are adamant that the pre-war conditions of free safe passage will never return.
On Wednesday, Iranian trade minister Mohammad Atabak met with six members of the Pakistani cabinet in Islamabad, including Pakistani commerce minister Jam Kamal Khan. The meeting was touted as an effort to developing stronger economic ties between the two nations, including a free trade agreement and easier shipping for Iranian products to Pakistan.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran, with a view to long-term horizons, welcomes all the proposals put forward by the esteemed Pakistani ministers and announces its readiness to draw up an executive roadmap in the shortest possible time,” Atabak declared, a sentiment that sits uncomfortably with Pakistan’s claims to be a neutral mediator.
Iran’s belligerent foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has reportedly accepted an invitation to visit Pakistan on Friday, where he will meet with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and defense chief Asim Munir – the Pakistani official most openly admired and trusted by President Donald Trump.
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