Iran announced Wednesday that negotiations with Oman over reopening the Strait of Hormuz have reached their "final stage," with Iranian and Omani negotiators having finalized a draft agreement that now awaits approval from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei. President Donald Trump said earlier this week that a deal could be announced within days, telling reporters the strait would be open "very soon." Iranian sources, however, pushed back on Trump's characterization of imminent agreement, saying important details remain unresolved.

The proposed arrangement would give Iran some measure of control over ships entering the Persian Gulf through the strait, with Oman overseeing outbound shipping traffic through the waterway. Iran has also conditioned reopening the strait on the United States lifting its blockade of Iranian ports — a demand that complicates the negotiations, as the Trump administration had previously ruled out any deal that would cement Iran's grip over the passage. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said talks with Oman have been "positive" but warned that "certain parties" could still obstruct a final agreement.

The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to normal commercial traffic since the United States and Israel launched military operations against Iran on February 28, citing goals that included ending Tehran's nuclear program and toppling its government. Before the conflict, roughly 130 ships transited the strait daily, carrying approximately one-fifth of the world's traded oil and natural gas; that figure has fallen to as few as eight vessels per day. The closure has driven up fuel and consumer goods prices worldwide and is widely described as a drag on the global economy.

Oman, whose territorial waters border the strait, has served as a long-standing back-channel mediator between Washington and Tehran. Iran has denied holding direct talks with the United States, maintaining that its discussions are with Oman exclusively. Khamenei, believed to have been wounded in the opening strikes of the war, has not appeared publicly since late February, and regional officials said the draft deal awaits his final authorization.

A deal on the strait is described by officials as a temporary measure intended to create space for broader negotiations, including resumed talks on Iran's nuclear program. The diplomatic effort also comes as related conflicts simmer: Houthi forces in Yemen reported missile strikes on two additional Saudi oil tankers, two Israeli soldiers were killed in southern Lebanon in what the Israeli military described as an explosion at a site near the village of Majdal Zoun, and U.S.-backed talks between Israel and Lebanon in Rome were cut short Wednesday amid disputes between the delegations. Trump faces mounting political pressure to end the war before U.S. congressional elections.