Iran has announced an agreement with Oman on a shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway that Tehran has largely blocked since the US and Israel attacked the country in late February. The move comes amid intense pressure from Washington, with President Trump warning on Tuesday that Iran would be "hit very hard" if the strait did not reopen soon, and follows reports of progress in talks that could allow shipments to resume as early as this week.

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the "geographical coordinates of the route" had been agreed with Oman, though the deal was still "in the final stages" and no further details were released. He cautioned that the arrangement alone would not guarantee safe navigation, blaming continued US naval blockades of Iranian ports for the insecurity, while a separate blockade imposed by Yemen's Houthis has affected Saudi Arabia's Red Sea ports since 20 July. The strait normally carries around a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas, and its closure has caused global oil prices to swing sharply; Iran maintains it is not in direct negotiations with the US despite the reported progress.