Iran and Oman have agreed on a new temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital passage for global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi announced on Tuesday, August 26th, 2026.

The agreed route's entry and part of its exit will run through Iranian territorial waters, forming a transit corridor approximately seven miles (11.3 km) wide. This arrangement follows weeks of negotiations between the two coastal nations and was finalized after talks in Tehran involving Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart, Badr Albusaidi. The discussions also covered a project to clear mines from the strait.

Before the conflict between the US-Israel coalition and Iran began in February 2026, over 20 percent of global oil and LNG shipments from Gulf producers passed through the strait, the only sea route connecting the Gulf to the open ocean. The war, initiated by strikes on Tehran on February 28th, has effectively closed the strait to shipping, triggering a global energy market crisis.

Gharibabadi emphasized that the waterway will not fully reopen until the United States fulfills its commitments under an interim peace deal signed in June 2026, which has since lapsed. He also urged countries not to yield to American pressure regarding sanctions, stating that Washington is mistaken about its ability to enforce sanctions against Iran's neighbors.

Iran has announced this new shipping route through its territorial waters, bypassing the internationally recognized Traffic Separation Scheme adopted by the International Maritime Organization in 1968.

The Strait of Hormuz remains a focal point of contention between Washington and Tehran, with ongoing disagreements impeding prospects for a lasting peace plan.

Sources