President Trump Claims Strait of Hormuz Reopening Is Imminent As Iran and Oman Finalize Shipping Routes
President Trump stated that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened "very soon," warning that Iran would face a harsh attack if it failed to meet its commitments. While the administration announced that negotiations are progressing, Iran has denied holding direct talks with the United States, instead focusing on bilateral discussions with Oman to establish safe shipping routes. These negotiations have produced broad agreement on inbound and outbound corridors, though the agreement does not automatically guarantee a full reopening. Iran has accused the United States of reinstating a naval blockade and resuming hostilities. Meanwhile, Saudi Aramco reported that 2.6 billion barrels of crude oil have been lost from global supplies due to the war, with trade flows through the Strait of Hormuz currently at only a tenth of pre-conflict levels. Despite the optimism from the administration, Iranian officials have noted that internal splits within the regime regarding the trust of the United States remain a factor in finalizing the deal.