Middle East diplomats: Progress made on temporary Strait of Hormuz shipping deal

Two Middle Eastern diplomats said Tuesday that there had been progress in efforts to resolve the crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, although no final agreement had been reached.Follow us on GoogleA vessel in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, July 16, 2026(photo credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)ByAMICHAI STEIN, REUTERSJULY 28, 2026 21:25Updated: JULY 28, 2026 22:51Iran has proposed to Oman a temporary arrangement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under which one direction of traffic would pass through Iranian waters, and part of the opposite route would also be in Iranian waters, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television on Tuesday.Two Middle Eastern diplomats said Tuesday that there had been progress in efforts to resolve the crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, although no final agreement had been reached.Gharibabadi said Tehran rejected an Omani proposal for an equal division of transit routes between the two countries, saying such a plan did not address Tehran's security concerns as long as long-term regional stability is not achieved.Earlier, Oman presented a proposal to Iran for joint regional management of the Strait of Hormuz with shipping firms paying voluntary fees.Vessels at the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, July 26, 2026. (credit: REUTERS/STRINGER)Talks advance on temporary Strait of Hormuz solutionGharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed if Muscat rejected Iran's proposal, adding that Tehran had never recognized the southern route along Oman's coast.The emerging proposal, the two diplomats said, focuses on a temporary solution establishing a central shipping route through the strait, running between Omani and Iranian territorial waters.They stressed the proposal would be only a temporary arrangement.Talks remained ongoing, the two diplomats said, adding that meaningful progress had been made.According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, the negotiations were narrowly focused on shipping and not meant to put a full stop to the conflict. Mediators instead hoped that a temporary agreement on the contentious shipping issue would cool tempers and ultimately lead to more advanced talks, the report added. Iran and Oman are still far from reaching an agreement on some aspects of the situation, including whether to charge transit fees, mediators and one US official told the WSJ.This comes after US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Washington DC on Tuesday."It was a very positive meeting. You could see the chemistry between the leaders," a source familiar with the details told The Jerusalem Post. Ariella Roitman and Goldie Katz contributed to this report.Follow us on Google