Hormuz Strait talks with Oman progress, Iran says

Hormuz Strait talks between Iran and Oman have made "significant progress" over administration of the strategic waterway, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday, according to Iran's foreign ministry.

The ministry said Araghchi gave the update during a call with his Japanese counterpart. Iran and Oman, both coastal states on the strait, have for weeks been discussing the future of navigation through the waterway. Tehran has said progress had been made toward agreeing a temporary shipping route.

Iranian forces have restricted traffic through Hormuz since war with the United States broke out on February 28. The United States has imposed a counter naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Tehran has required vessels to seek permission to transit and has said there will be no return to the previous system of unrestricted navigation. It has also sought to impose service fees on ships using the strait, a move opposed by Washington and regional countries.

Iranian officials recently said a deal between Oman and Iran could be signed "in the coming days". They have said the strait will not reopen until the United States meets Iranian demands, including removing oil sanctions, unfreezing Iranian assets abroad and lifting the naval blockade on Iranian ports.

US President Donald Trump said in recent days that American forces had helped facilitate the passage of vessels through the strait, "averaging 30 ships a night". Iran's security chief Mohsen Rezaei said Sunday that the United States tries each night to help five or six ships through and that "usually these ships get hit".