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Iran and Oman Near Agreement on Strait of Hormuz Shipping Route

evening · · thread: US and Iran Pause Military Strikes Amid Continued Drone Attacks on Saudi Oil Sites

16 sources across 13 countries · 1 of them is linked to a state

Who reported this

  • Deutsche Welle Germany · Centre · Public · German federal public-law corporation
  • Frankfurter Allgemeine Germany · Centre-right · FAZIT-Stiftung (foundation)
  • Tempo English Indonesia · Centre-left · PT Tempo Inti Media
  • The Jakarta Post Indonesia · Centre-left · PT Bina Media Tenggara
  • Asahi Shimbun Japan · Centre-left · Asahi Shimbun Company (family and employee held)
  • NHK Japan · Centre · Public · Statutory corporation, reception-fee funded
  • Infobae Argentina · Centre-right · Daniel Hadad
  • Politico Europe Belgium · Centre · Axel Springer SE
  • France 24 France · Centre · Public · France Medias Monde (French state holding)
  • The Indian Express India · Centre · Indian Express Group (Goenka family)
  • ANSA Italy · Centre · Publisher cooperative
  • The Straits Times Singapore · Centre-right · State-affiliated · SPH Media Trust; management shares under the NPPA
  • The Korea Herald South Korea · Centre-right · Herald Corporation (Yeongpoong Group)
  • Neue Zuercher Zeitung Switzerland · Centre-right · Dispersed shareholders, no controlling stake
  • The Guardian United Kingdom · Centre-left · Scott Trust Limited
  • Bloomberg United States · Centre · Bloomberg L.P. (Michael Bloomberg)

What the colours mean

  • Left
  • Centre-left
  • Centre
  • Centre-right
  • Right
  • A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.

Political lean describes where an outlet sits within the politics of its own country. It is never a position on a single global scale.

Political lean is comparable inside one country and not across them, which is why the bar groups by country first. Publicly funded broadcasters are not marked as state-linked.

The owner of each outlet is listed as a matter of record, not as a judgement about the outlet.

Iran and Oman have reached the final stages of an agreement to delineate a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei confirmed that the geographical coordinates of the proposed maritime route have been agreed upon by both sides. The new route would primarily lie within Iranian territorial waters. Some reports indicate the agreement is a temporary measure lasting between two and four months, intended to serve as a transition while broader negotiations continue.

Despite the progress with Oman, Iranian officials state that the full reopening of the strait depends on the United States ending its naval blockade of Iranian ports. Iran has maintained de facto control of the waterway since the start of the war on February 28. There are conflicting reports regarding the nature of the diplomacy. US President Donald Trump has claimed that negotiations with Iran are moving along and that a deal is imminent. Conversely, Iran has denied direct negotiations with Washington, insisting that its discussions are strictly bilateral with Oman.

Details regarding the management of the strait remain a point of contention. Some reports suggest Iran seeks to control inbound traffic and may consider charging transit fees, a move the United States would oppose. US Vice President JD Vance described the diplomatic process as messy, citing divisions within the Iranian leadership and the difficult nature of the counterparts. The agreement still requires final approval from Iran's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who has remained out of public view since being injured in February.

Regional tensions remain high as shipping traffic has collapsed. Data from Kpler showed only two commercial vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. Simultaneously, the Houthi militia in Yemen reported attacking two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In other regional developments, two Israeli reserve soldiers were killed in an explosion in southern Lebanon.

How each side framed it

Centre-left
These outlets highlighted the continued security risks and the geopolitical pressure on the United States to end the blockade.
Centre
These outlets focused on the factual status of the negotiations and the official statements from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
Centre-right
These outlets emphasized the economic impact on markets and the difficulties of dealing with the Iranian leadership.

Sources

100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.