WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that progress has been made in talks with Iran and Oman aimed at allowing more vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz, although no final agreement has yet been reached.
Speaking to reporters at the State Department, Rubio said, “These talks have made progress, but no final agreement has been reached yet. We hope that will happen very soon.”
Earlier in the day, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States could reach an agreement with Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz as early as Wednesday, adding that such a deal would help stabilize global energy prices.
In an interview with CNBC, Bessent said, “We are in discussions with the Iranians, and I believe there is a chance of reaching an agreement today or tomorrow to reopen the strait and move toward broader normalization in this conflict.”
Meanwhile, an Iranian source told Reuters that a temporary plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remains under discussion with Oman. Under the proposed arrangement, Iran would retain full control over shipping traffic entering the strait.
The source added that outbound vessels would travel through a maritime corridor between Iran and Oman, with Muscat allowing ships to depart after notifying Tehran.
According to the source, the plan would enable Iran to monitor outbound maritime traffic and intervene when necessary, adding that Tehran is unlikely to accept any alternative proposal for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Sources: Reuters
