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Update: Iran Says Talks With Oman Over Strait of Hormuz Control in Final Stages

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(Updates with additional information in the last three paragraphs.)

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi has said that negotiations with Oman over the control of the Strait of Hormuz were in advanced stages, according to a post on the Telegram messenger app on Sunday.

Araghchi said progress had been made on the negotiations, noting that they were now in "final stages," as Tehran insists that the strategically crucial waterway, which usually accounts for one-fifth of global LNG flows and one-fourth of the seaborne oil trade, would never return to its pre-war status.

Esmail Baghaei, Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, noted in a televised interview on Sunday that according to the MoU signed with the US in June, management of the Strait is to be carried out by Tehran in consultation with Oman, according to the Fars News Agency.

Baghaei also said that the future shipping route through the strait would neither be "the current Northern route nor the current Southern route, but rather a new route to be agreed upon by the two sides."

On Monday, Baghaei also denied claims made by US President Donald Trump, who said that the US and Iran would restart negotiations, according to multiple media outlets.

Speaking to reporters on board Air Force One on Sunday, Trump said that he had called off strikes that were going to be "the biggest attack since World War Two" against Iran, as the "perimeter" of a deal was already in place, with negotiations set to begin on Monday afternoon.

However, according to Baghaei, Iran's negotiations were only with Oman, which was primarily focused on reaching an understanding on the optimal route that can ensure safe passage for shipping along the Strait of Hormuz.

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