Iran-Oman Shipping Route to Remain Open Based on Hormuz Strait Agreement

ILLUSTRATION PHOTO/U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. Fifth Fleet

JAKARTA - Iran and Oman's shipping routes crossing the Strait of Hormuz will remain in use for the time being under an agreement being drafted by the two countries, before being replaced by a single main route across the strait.

The report was carried by Iran's state-affiliated news agency Fars, citing a source.

"For a certain period of time, the ships will initially enter the Strait of Hormuz through the northern shipping lane close to the Iranian coast, then exit through the southern lane close to the Omani coast," Fars reported, citing CNN, Friday, August 7.

"After the period ends, traffic on both the north and south lanes will be stopped, and all ships will switch to crossing the main shipping lane in the middle of the strait," the statement continued.

According to Fars, the incoming ship traffic will be managed by Iran, while the outgoing ship traffic will be jointly managed by Iran and Oman.

Iran briefly closed the Strait of Hormuz after the United States and Israel attacked the country in February 2026.

Tehran then requires ships that want to pass to obtain permits and sail close to the Iranian coast, while warning them not to use the US-backed corridor on the Oman side.

Iranian forces had fired on several ships using the corridor, prompting Washington to launch another attack on Iran.

Meanwhile, Washington warned shipping companies using Iranian-controlled routes could face sanctions if they paid Iran transit fees, provided sensitive information about ships, or transacted with sanctioned entities.

If confirmed, the arrangement described by Fars would allow both routes - both the Iranian-controlled route and the US-backed Oman route - to operate for a time, before traffic is eventually diverted to the main lane in the middle of the strait.

It was not immediately clear whether Oman or the United States had agreed to the arrangements reported by Fars.