Iran and Oman have reached agreements concerning the division of control over the strategically important Strait of Hormuz and the revenues associated with the vital waterway, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said on Wednesday, marking a significant development in efforts to restore maritime traffic through one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
According to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), negotiations between Tehran and Muscat have resulted in an understanding over the respective shares of the two countries in the waters of the Strait as well as the revenues generated from its operation. IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi said the discussions had been underway for around a month and that both sides had reached results acceptable to them. He also accused the United States of obstructing the negotiations, claiming that American interference had delayed the process.
The announcement comes as Iran and Oman have been working on an interim arrangement aimed at allowing commercial vessels to resume movement through the Strait of Hormuz. The waterway has remained largely closed to normal shipping since the outbreak of the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel in February. Before the conflict, the Strait was a crucial transit route for global energy supplies, carrying roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
Despite the latest agreement, the Strait is not expected to return immediately to normal operations. Iranian officials have maintained that reopening the waterway fully depends on the United States meeting conditions linked to an earlier understanding reached in June. Tehran has sought measures including the lifting of sanctions and a naval blockade affecting Iranian ports, along with other steps connected to the previous agreement.
Iran’s position has created uncertainty over whether the new understanding with Oman will translate into an immediate resumption of unrestricted commercial shipping. The IRGC has warned that the Strait will not be fully opened if Washington refuses to accept Iran’s conditions. At the same time, Iran and Oman have been discussing practical arrangements to establish a temporary shipping corridor that could permit selected vessels to transit the waterway while broader negotiations continue.
The proposed arrangement also involves efforts to improve maritime safety. Iran and Oman have discussed cooperation on clearing mines and creating safer routes for commercial vessels. Under the emerging framework, ships could use waters controlled by both countries depending on their direction of travel, with the two sides coordinating navigation and security arrangements. The objective is to facilitate commercial movement while a more permanent agreement on management of the waterway is negotiated.
The question of revenue remains particularly important. Iran has previously sought payment from some vessels for passage or maritime services during the crisis, while Oman has expressed opposition to conventional transit fees. The two countries’ latest understanding reportedly concerns their respective shares of revenues from the Strait, although the precise mechanism for collecting and distributing such income has not been publicly detailed.
The Strait’s prolonged disruption has had major consequences for international shipping and energy markets. Although some vessels have continued to cross the waterway, traffic remains substantially below normal levels. Recent tracking data showed a modest increase in commercial crossings, but activity was still below the average seen before the crisis. Continued attacks and security concerns have also made shipping companies cautious about sending vessels through the area.
The latest Iran-Oman understanding could therefore provide an important opening for wider diplomatic efforts, but significant obstacles remain. Tehran continues to link the full reopening of the Strait to its dispute with Washington, while the United States has opposed arrangements that could impose charges or alter the traditional framework governing passage through the waterway.
Regional countries are meanwhile stepping up mediation efforts to prevent further escalation. Qatar has been involved in diplomatic contacts with Tehran, while Oman has played a central role in discussions concerning maritime navigation. The emerging temporary corridor and revenue-sharing understanding could offer a framework for restoring limited commercial traffic, but the eventual reopening of the Strait will depend largely on whether Iran and the United States can resolve their broader disagreements.
For the global energy market, the stakes remain high. Any sustained improvement in shipping through Hormuz could ease pressure on oil supplies and reduce some of the risk premium associated with the conflict. However, until a durable political and security agreement is reached, shipping operators and energy markets are likely to remain sensitive to developments around the Strait, which continues to occupy a central position in the wider Iran-US confrontation.
