The United States and Iran could reach an agreement within hours to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and guarantee the safe passage of commercial shipping, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday, as negotiations continued despite persistent disagreements over control of the strategic waterway.
Bessent said in a television interview that a deal could be concluded on Tuesday or Wednesday. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio separately said progress had been made in talks involving Iran and Oman to facilitate the safe transit of commercial vessels, although no final agreement had yet been reached.
Rubio said the immediate negotiations were focused on the Strait of Hormuz, where some oil shipments had already resumed, while broader discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme were continuing in parallel.
“We have made progress, but we have not yet reached a final outcome,” Rubio told reporters, adding that Washington hoped an agreement could be secured soon.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran was defending its territory and borders but had no intention of expanding the conflict. Iranian officials also disclosed details of a temporary proposal being discussed with Oman to reopen the strait.
According to Reuters, a senior Iranian source said the proposal would give Tehran authority over shipping entering the Strait of Hormuz while allowing it to monitor outbound traffic and intervene when necessary. Under the plan, departing vessels would use a route between Iran and Oman, with Muscat authorising passage after notifying Tehran.
The source added that Iran was unlikely to accept any alternative arrangement that failed to recognise what it considers its central role in regulating traffic through the waterway.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the United States and regional governments had rejected an Iranian demand to impose transit fees on vessels and had sought guarantees that Tehran and its regional allies would not threaten neighbouring states.
The newspaper, citing mediators, said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had not formally responded to one of the proposals. According to the report, some IRGC officials told mediators they would not accept an agreement that did not recognise Iran’s claim to authority over the strait.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said draft agreements had been exchanged but that no final deal had yet been reached. He added that mediators were working towards a short-term arrangement to prevent further escalation and pave the way for the resumption of broader US-Iran negotiations.
Qatari Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani also discussed the mediation efforts with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, stressing the need to implement previous understandings and guarantee freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
Pakistan also remained engaged in the mediation effort. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar held a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and invited him to visit Islamabad, while the Speaker of Pakistan’s National Assembly extended a similar invitation to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
