President Donald Trump said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come within days, but the emerging agreement, as reported by The New York Times late Monday, could well leave Iran with greater influence over the strategic waterway and crucial energy chokepoint than it had before the U.S.-Iran war. The Times reported late Monday that Iranian and U.S. officials said Iran and Oman are moving toward an agreement that would allow commercial shipping to resume through the strait, though the two sides sharply disagree over what the arrangement would require.
According to the Times, Iranian officials said inbound vessels would use a shipping lane along Iran’s coastline while outbound traffic would move through a channel closer to Oman. Iranian officials told the newspaper the arrangement would not include formal tolls but would impose a “service fee” to cover security, environmental protection and staffing, with revenues divided equally between Iran and Oman. Those same Iranian officials told the New York Post the proposed arrangement would be temporary, lasting one to three months while broader negotiations continue over a lasting settlement.
