Iran will not allow military vessels to travel through the Strait of Hormuz as part of a temporary agreement the Islamic Republic is negotiating with Oman.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state TV late Tuesday night that the two countries have agreed to a new framework for managing ship traffic to stop military ships from passing through the waterway.
“If the understanding becomes binding, no military vessel will be permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said, in comments later reported by U.S. news outlets. “No military vessel at all.”
Control of the Strait of Hormuz has been a point of contention throughout the U.S.’s war with Iran, which started on Feb. 28, and has intensified in recent weeks after an interim deal agreed in June to end the fighting collapsed.
Iran has struck container ships in the waterway, which is crucial for shipping routes, as the U.S. tries to ensure it remains open and Iran vies to close it. Iran hopes that closing the waterway that once carried a fifth of the world’s oil and gas will put pressure on the U.S. by choking the global economy.
The New Agreement
Under the proposed agreement between Iran and Oman, commercial shipping traffic from the Gulf of Oman to the Persian Gulf would pass through Iranian waters. Traffic traveling in the other direction would pass partly through Iranian waters and partly through Oman.
Gharibabadi said the proposed route would be temporary and that the two countries need to negotiate within 30 to 60 days to agree a permanent maritime traffic scheme.
“If Iran’s requests are not granted, the strait will be closed,” he said.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi also said in a statement on Tuesday he hoped Iran and Oman would agree to a temporary shipping corridor in the strait.
Iran War Continues
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent earlier this week announced an “economic D-Day” against Iran, aiming to further put Iran in an isolationist position on the global stage which could force them to make concessions.
That timetable remains fluid, however, as the war approaches the six-month mark.
The new round of sanctions is also a warning shot towards every country that does business with the Islamic Republic, which could lead to retaliatory measures like the United States severing financial ties.
As a result, Iran’s currency hit a record low on Monday.
The Department of Defense (DOD) announced last week that more than 750 Americans have been wounded in the war.
The administration has requested a $1.5 trillion defense budget from Congress, which includes a specific request for roughly $70 billion more to fund ongoing operations and naval blockades in the Middle East.
In July, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told Senate Appropriations Committee lawmakers that not fully funding the Department of Defense (DOD) to the tune of $1.5 trillion is the “greatest threat” the United States faces at home and abroad.
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