CNN reported on Saturday, citing an informed source, that the Sultanate of Oman has prepared a proposal to manage navigation in the Strait of Hormuz through two separate lanes.

The network added that under the agreement, which has not yet been signed in its final form, both lanes would remain open. The southern lane, which passes through Omani territorial waters, would allow freedom of navigation as it was before the war.

Ships crossing the northern lane, which passes through Iranian territorial waters, would require prior approval from Iran, with the understanding that no fees would be imposed under the agreement.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi in Muscat on Saturday, where the two officials discussed mechanisms to ensure safe passage for ships in the waterway.

Related news

Earlier, US officials revealed that the United States and Iran would resume negotiations on Saturday in Oman, indicating that Washington demanded that Tehran issue a statement declaring all routes in the Strait of Hormuz open and that it would not return to targeting ships.

ABC News quoted US officials as saying, 'The United States expects from talks on Saturday with Iran that the Strait of Hormuz will be reopened in the same way as before the war.'

The officials added, 'If Iran does not announce on Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz is open as it was before the war, it will not be a happy day for them.'

After signing a memorandum of understanding in June, the Americans and Iranians held two rounds of talks, the first directly in Switzerland and the second indirectly in Qatar, but they did not achieve any progress.

In an attempt to revive the talks, a Qatari delegation arrived in Iran on Friday, according to the Tasnim news agency, as Doha mediates between Tehran and Washington.

Similarly, Pakistan, which also plays a similar role, called on Tehran to preserve 'hard-won peace gains' with Washington, according to what Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif wrote in a post on platform X.

unmute

Does Iran's bet on Hormuz backfire on Iran?