Iran, Oman finalize Hormuz draft as Trump says deal close
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- Trump said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could be announced as soon as Wednesday, telling reporters in California that 'a lot of progress has been made' during a second day of talks in Rome.
- Iranian and Omani negotiators finalized a draft deal that is now awaiting final approval from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen publicly since being reportedly wounded in the war's Feb. 28 opening strikes.
- The proposed agreement would route ships into the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled channel and out through an Omani-controlled channel, with service fees charged for security — provisions the Trump administration says it strongly opposes.
- Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the deal is in its 'final stage' of drafting and that a joint statement will be issued 'if certain parties do not obstruct this process,' an apparent reference to the US.
- Houthi rebels fired ballistic missiles at a Saudi oil tanker near Yanbu and sank an Indian-flagged commercial vessel in the Red Sea with an explosive-laden boat, continuing attacks on shipping even as diplomatic hopes rose.
- The Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire showed fresh strain as Israel issued its first evacuation warning in weeks for the southern Lebanese village of Mansouri and launched 'precise strikes' in response to alleged Hezbollah violations, while negotiators met in Rome.
Why it matters: The draft deal would route a waterway carrying roughly a fifth of the world's oil and gas through an Iranian-controlled lane with service fees — a reversal of prewar international norms that the Trump administration says it opposes, complicating Trump's effort to end an unpopular war before midterm elections.
