Iran is advancing a bilateral protocol with Oman to monitor and manage vessel traffic passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s state news agency reported, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.
According to Gharibabadi, the proposed arrangement is intended to ensure safer transit and to offer improved services to ships using the route, not to place limitations on their movement. The deputy foreign minister emphasized that vessel traffic should take place under the supervision and coordination of Iran and Oman as the coastal states responsible for the corridor, and that such oversight applies even in peacetime.
The announcement arrives in the wake of public comments from European and American leaders on the feasibility of reopening the Strait. French President Emmanuel Macron said it would be unrealistic to launch a military operation to force the passage open, a stance reported after remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump urging allies to work toward reopening the waterway.
Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz - a chokepoint that carries roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies - since strikes by the U.S. and Israel on Iranian targets prompted a cycle of retaliatory attacks by Tehran on Israel, U.S. bases and Gulf states, the deputy foreign minister’s comments noted.
The draft protocol between Iran and Oman is presented by Iranian officials as a cooperative coastal-state mechanism focused on supervision, coordination and service provision for transiting vessels. The framework, as described, prioritizes navigational safety and logistical support rather than restrictions on maritime traffic.
Details on the operational mechanics of the proposed monitoring arrangement were not provided in the statement attributed to Gharibabadi. The public remarks link the initiative to broader international debate about the appropriate methods for restoring passage through a strategically critical corridor.
With the Strait of Hormuz carrying a significant share of global energy shipments, the status of the channel and any coastal-state management arrangements are likely to be watched closely by markets and maritime operators. Iran’s framing of the protocol underscores a preference for bilateral coastal-state oversight as the principal modality for handling vessel movements through the strait.