Iran on Sunday said it was close to reaching an agreement with Oman on a new route through the Strait of Hormuz, only hours after the United States announced it was postponing major military strikes to allow diplomatic efforts to continue.
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Washington and Israel had agreed to delay further attacks on Iran because the “perimeters” of a possible deal had emerged.
The conflict between Iran and its adversaries has continued since February 28, when the United States and Israel carried out surprise strikes against Iranian targets. Although intermittent diplomatic contacts have produced periods of relative calm, tensions rose again after strikes resumed last month.
Before the latest diplomatic push, fears had grown that the fighting could escalate further. Trump had warned that Iran could be hit “very hard,” and reports suggested that renewed attacks, including possible strikes on energy facilities, were being considered. US embassies across the Middle East were also placed on alert.
However, the American president appeared to soften his position following intensive diplomatic engagements, including talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Trump said Iran and other Middle Eastern countries had requested that military action be postponed because the framework of an agreement had been reached.
In a post on Truth Social, he said he had agreed to cancel the planned attack for the benefit of global stability and the future of a prosperous Iran, while adding that the decision was conditional on the rapid conclusion of a deal.
It remains unclear what stage the negotiations have reached, and Iranian media denied that Tehran had asked Trump to refrain from launching strikes.
Mediators working on earlier understanding
Iranian lawmaker Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesperson for parliament’s national security commission, said mediators were trying to revive the Islamabad memorandum of understanding, which had been agreed in June.
He explained that the memorandum was not designed to be a final peace settlement but rather a foundation for broader negotiations on a comprehensive agreement. The document, however, contained provisions related to the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Ghashghavi, the strait has become the central issue in the current negotiations and discussions are continuing over possible arrangements.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, writing on X, said Iran must ensure that its adversaries remain committed to any agreement they sign.
Strait remains the key dispute
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important routes for oil and gas exports, has been at the centre of the diplomatic dispute.
Before the war, vessels moved freely through the waterway. During the conflict, Iran closed the strait and has since insisted on maintaining control over passage and imposing tolls, a position rejected by the United States.
Trump said any eventual agreement would have to include the immediate, complete and total reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the elimination of what he described as Iran’s nuclear threat.
At the beginning of the conflict, the US president said military action was necessary because of Iran’s nuclear programme. Western countries accuse Tehran of seeking to develop a nuclear weapon, while Iran maintains that its programme is entirely for civilian purposes.
The disagreement over shipping routes through the strait was one of the factors that contributed to the renewed strikes last month, after Tehran rejected routes that did not remain close to the Iranian coast.
Iran says understanding with Oman is near
On Sunday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told state television that Iran and Oman were close to an understanding on a new route through the strait.
He said the proposed arrangement would involve a route acceptable to both countries, neither a northern nor a southern corridor, but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and protects Iran’s national interests and security.
Baqaei stressed, however, that reaching such an understanding would not automatically mean that the Strait of Hormuz has been reopened.
