Iran sets 7-mile Hormuz route with Oman, denies reopening

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Tuesday that Tehran and Muscat have agreed to establish a temporary seven-mile-wide transit route through the Strait of Hormuz, though he stressed the arrangement does not amount to a full reopening of the strategic chokepoint.

Temporary corridor details

Speaking in a televised interview, Gharibabadi stated the agreed corridor would traverse Iranian territorial waters on entry, with a portion of the exit route also passing through Iranian waters. "The agreed-upon width of the transit route with Oman in the Strait of Hormuz is seven miles," he said, describing the arrangement as temporary. The official noted that further negotiations between the two countries would determine a permanent route within 30 to 60 days.

Washington must fulfill commitments first

Gharibabadi emphasized that the agreement with Oman should not be interpreted as reopening the strait, declaring that Iran retains complete control over the waterway. "The Strait of Hormuz is closed, and we have complete control over it," he said, adding that Tehran does not trust Washington and that any return to normal operations would require the United States to first fulfill its obligations under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding. "Before any action to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the US must fully implement all of its violated commitments," he said.

He stated that the waterway would only reopen in exchange for an end to hostilities on all fronts, the lifting of the blockade, and a resolution of Yemen's status. Pakistani Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir conveyed the same conditions during his recent visit to Tehran, according to the deputy foreign minister.

Tehran warns US mine-sweepers

The deputy foreign minister rejected reports that US forces had cleared mines in the waterway, challenging Washington to prove its claims by sending a vessel through. "If the United States claims that the mines have been completely cleared, why doesn't a US ship pass through?" he said. "No one except Iran knows the location of these mines." He warned that any US mine-sweeping vessels entering the area would be considered targets, adding that President Donald Trump's recent comments about mine clearance were intended only to calm markets. Earlier, Trump had claimed on his Truth Social platform that all mines had been successfully removed or detonated in the international waters of the strait, warning that any Iranian vessel placing new mines would be destroyed.