IRAN is pressing for control over ships entering the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz as part of negotiations with Oman to reopen the vital waterway and end the five-month war with the United States, according to a senior Iranian source and two regional officials familiar with the talks.
The proposal would represent one of Tehran’s biggest diplomatic gains since hostilities erupted in February, granting it a role over maritime traffic through a chokepoint that carries a significant share of the world’s oil and gas exports. Before the conflict, commercial vessels transited the strait freely without charges.
Reuters reported on Thursday that the United States has not publicly commented on the reported proposal. Although President Donald Trump has said an agreement to reopen the strait is close, Washington has consistently maintained that it would not accept Iranian control over access to the waterway.
Iran and Oman have been engaged in talks over the management of the Strait of Hormuz, which is divided between Iranian and Omani territorial waters. Tehran has reported “significant progress” in the negotiations, with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi saying the proposed arrangement envisages commercial vessels passing through Iranian territorial waters on both inbound and outbound journeys.
“The arrangement was designed in such a way that commercial ships will pass through Iranian territorial waters, both on the inbound and outbound legs.”
He added that discussions had “reached fundamental understandings” and that, “This progress is on the verge of being finalised.”
However, regional officials cautioned that several critical issues remain unresolved and pushed back against suggestions that a final agreement is imminent.
One regional source said negotiators were still debating how Iranian “control” would be defined, with Gulf states insisting that inspections should be supervised by regional countries and that any transit fees remain voluntary.
According to the senior Iranian source, Tehran is seeking transit fees of between five and seven per cent of the value of cargoes carried by ships using the strait, while Oman has proposed fees of around three per cent. Washington is said to oppose the imposition of any fees.
Iran has also warned Gulf neighbours that any renewed United States military strikes would trigger retaliation against critical energy infrastructure across the region.
“The Iranian warning was unequivocal: if America targeted Iran’s infrastructure, they would retaliate by striking Gulf energy facilities and other regional targets,” one Gulf source said.
Tehran has continued to launch missile and drone attacks against United States allies in the region while also targeting commercial shipping transiting the strait without its approval.
Speaking at a rally in Las Vegas, President Trump reiterated that he preferred a negotiated settlement.
“I’d rather make a deal because I don’t want to kill people. I do not want to kill people, but at some point we’re gonna,” he said.
Iran says more than 3,400 people have been killed since the conflict with the United States and Israel began on Feb 28, while the United States has reported 18 military fatalities.
The latest diplomatic efforts come as President Trump faces growing domestic pressure to end the conflict ahead of November’s midterm elections. Reuters has previously reported that prolonged military operations have depleted key United States precision missile stockpiles, while global crude oil prices have fallen following Trump’s decision to halt further strikes in favour of diplomacy. – August 6, 2026
