World latest updates: Iran says deal on Strait of Hormuz is close but not enough to open the waterway
Three boys play in the shallow waters of the Strait of Hormuz, as a plume of smoke rises from an explosion in the background, off Bandar Abbas, Iran. (AP Photo)
Iran and Oman are close to an agreement on managing ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reports, though Iranian officials say that alone won’t fully reopen the waterway, which once carried a fifth of global oil shipments. A US official told Reuters Washington expects a deal soon.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran wants a new shipping route and won’t accept the old traffic system, while a temporary corridor is worked out with Oman. Iran’s security chief added demands including US compensation, an end to threats against Iran and its allies, and the lifting of sanctions and frozen assets. President Masoud Pezeshkian called this the right moment for a deal.
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Violence continued regardless: the UAE said an Iranian missile struck another tanker, and a separate ship caught fire after being hit, per UK maritime monitors. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said reopening the strait depends solely on Washington meeting Iran’s terms, unrelated to the Oman talks.
Reuters also reported this week that the emerging deal could grant Iran unusual control over Gulf-bound vessels a concession US officials have long rejected outright.
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