On 25 August, Iran and Oman announced in a joint statement that they had discussed a phased framework that could lead to progress in the strait.   The statement said the proposed framework “includes the establishment of a joint temporary navigational corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and an agreement to implement a joint project to clear the Strait of mines.”Oman and Iran would then continue technical negotiations towards agreeing on a permanent navigational corridor and the future administration of the strait “as well as a mechanism for information-sharing, traffic management, and the provision of relevant navigational and security services.”   The statement stopped short of mentioning fees and charges for any services rendered - a key sticking point for the US and its goal of free navigation in the area.

Oman’s foreign minister Sayyid Badr took to social media platform X to express hope for the proposal's future. “I am hopeful we will soon announce a temporary corridor for the Strait of Hormuz and practical arrangements to restore safe navigation. Future management of the Strait and a permanent solution will follow in due course.”   Statements out of Tehran since the joint statement have layered on extra detail and outline a version of the agreement that may prove geopolitically difficult for Oman.

Iranian deputy foreign minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said the new temporary route through Hormuz would be around seven nautical miles wide and compared the corridor to a highway with with vessels entering the Gulf through Iranian waters to the north and exiting to via Omani and Iranian waters to the south.

Once the temporary route is agreed, the two nations will have one to two months to negotiate a permanent route, said Gharibabadi.

While the statements suggest progress, he repeatedly emphasised that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and will remain closed until Iran’s conditions are met.

Gharibabadi claimed that the agreement included as a first step the closure of the current southern route through Hormuz along the coast of Oman, a move that will undoubtedly raise objections from the US. Iran has branded the southern route illegal in the wake of the collapse of the US-Iran peace agreement in June, while the US sought to support and encourage its use. Iran continues to make its position clear through the frequent targeting of vessels along the southern route with missiles.

The latest joint statement follows months of talks between the two coastal nations about the waters between them, including claims on multiple occasions earlier this month that the sides were close to reaching an agreement.   Whatever progress has been made, the US is unlikely to support any arrangement that hands greater control of the Strait of Hormuz to Iran. Underlining the importance of the strait to the US and the volatility of the situation, when asked about the negotiations between Iran and Oman on 17 August, president Trump threatened to bomb Oman if it got in the way.     US objections to earlier versions of the Iran-Oman arrangement were around freedom of navigation, arguing against imposing fees on vessels transiting Hormuz, however those charges might be disguised. Joint management of part of the route by Oman and Iran is also opposed by the US as it seeks to limit Iran’s influence and pursue free navigation.

Iran and Oman’s mention of joint mine clearing operations within the proposed frameworks seems at odds with Trump’s recent assertions that the strait has been fully cleared of mines.