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The top diplomats of Iran and Oman met on Tuesday, August 25, to discuss a phased approach to managing ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains largely shut down nearly six months after the Iran war began.

The talks came after an oil tanker was disabled in an attack off the coast of Oman, underscoring the ongoing dangers for shipping companies attempting to use the waterway while it’s under Iranian control.

Iran and Oman issue statement on talks to manage the strait

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaid met with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Tehran, Iran’s capital, to discuss a framework for managing ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

A joint statement by the two countries, located on opposite sides of the narrow strait, said the proposed framework includes a “joint temporary navigational corridor,” and both countries are working to clear mines from the waterway.

The statement said Iran and Oman will continue technical negotiations toward establishing a permanent shipping corridor and an agreement on the future administration of the strait.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state TV that the two countries had reached an understanding on a temporary route. Traffic into the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman would pass entirely through Iranian waters, while the outbound route would pass partly through Iranian waters and partly through Oman’s territorial waters.

Iran and Oman would then hold negotiations over 30 to 60 days to “reach an understanding on a new permanent and sustainable route,” he said.

About a fifth of the world’s traded oil passed through the strait before the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.

It’s unknown whether the US will accept the emerging deal. US President Donald Trump last week threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of American efforts to reopen the strait.

Iran’s president and other senior officials also discussed the strait with a delegation from Pakistan that left Tehran on Tuesday following talks on reviving negotiations to end the Iran-US conflict, the Pakistani military said.

Tanker hit and disabled off Oman’s eastern coast

A strike on an oil tanker on Monday night, August 24, off Oman’s coast disabled the ship’s engine, the British military’s United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organisation reported. It said that all crew members were reported safe.

There were no immediate reports of any environmental impact.

Iran periodically fires at vessels attempting to transit the strait to enforce its control of the waterway, though there was no immediate claim for Monday’s attack. The US has also fired on vessels while imposing a blockade of Iranian ports.

China warns about US sanctions threat disrupting its cooperation with Iran

China’s Foreign Ministry says it is closely following plans announced by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to expand sanctions to entities and individuals linked to Iran, including some based in China.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China-Iran cooperation “should not be disrupted or undermined,” noting that it has conformed with international law.

China is one of Iran’s biggest trading partners and purchases the majority of its total oil exports.

The Treasury Department on Monday said it was imposing sanctions on nearly 60 Iran-linked entities, including several based in China. It stopped short of imposing secondary sanctions on countries that trade with Iran.