Iran claims that a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz will be close, but not by itself

Iran announced on Saturday that it was nearing a deal to control the Strait of Hormuz with Oman, but this would not be sufficient to open the waterway. The United Arab Emirates confirmed on Sunday that Iran had struck another vessel in the area. An unidentified U.S. official said that Washington expected an agreement to be reached soon between?Iran, Oman and the two countries that sit on each side of the strait. This would allow normal oil traffic to resume.

A wider agreement is needed to end the conflict which began on February 28, when the U.S., Israel and other countries attacked Iran.

Abbas Araqchi, Iranian Foreign Minister, said that Iran and Oman are "very close" in reaching an agreement about a new shipping path through the Strait of Hormuz. However, reopening of the strait is dependent on other conditions including compensation from the United States to Iran.

He said that the previous scheme for separating shipping traffic through the strait is no longer acceptable by Tehran. Iran and Oman are currently discussing a temporary path while legal and technical issues are resolved.

Iran responded to U.S. strikes by attacking U.S. bases located in Gulf states and Jordan. It also targeted shipping through the narrow strait that carried a quarter of world oil and gas before the war.

The UAE reported on Saturday that Iran attacked a carrier associated with its state oil company with a missile while it was transiting the Strait of Hormuz. No injuries were reported. This is the latest in a series of attacks against shipping in this area.

The Iranian authorities did not immediately comment. Iranian media did not include the part of the UAE report where the country blamed Iran.

US TO LIFT IRAN'S BLOCKADE ONCE A DEAL IS Announced, Official Says

Iran has denied that any talks have taken place. In recent weeks the Trump administration repeatedly hinted that a deal could be near. The latest round of talks was not clear whether they would lead to a lasting agreement.

A U.S. official said on Friday that there was progress between Oman, Iran and the Strait of Hormuz. We expect a deal to be reached soon. The United States will lift its blockade on Iranian ports once the deal to restore commercial shipping is announced.

The official stated that "as always, U.S. action will continue to depend on Iran's performance and its implementation of its obligations."

Iran's Revolutionary Guards said also on Saturday that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz was dependent on Washington accepting Iran’s conditions, and had nothing to do with the Iran-Oman talks.

Hossein Mouhebbi, the spokesperson for the Guards, did not specify conditions but said Washington must stop interfering with the regional negotiations process.

According to Iran's Tasnim News Agency, he stated that the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened as soon as the United States accepted Iran's terms.

Sources said this week a deal would give Iran some control. A proposed agreement between Iran, Oman, and the U.S. to end five months of conflict between Iran, Oman, and the U.S., would give Tehran the ability to control ships entering the Gulf via the strait. A senior Iranian source, and two regional officials, told us on Wednesday that it was one of the biggest concessions to Iran.

Officials from the United States have said repeatedly that they will never allow Iran to control access to the most important energy trade route in the world. It wasn't clear if they were trying to alter the parameters of the deal. Iran has justified the tolls on oil tankers by citing hostilities. This, along with the firing of ships trying to cross the strait without permission, have caused global shipments to be disrupted, which has led to a rise in energy prices and fueled inflation. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (one of the largest energy producers in the world) announced on Friday that 15 of their vessels were struck by what it called "unprovoked" attacks while they transited the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the conflict. It said that the attacks had killed one crewmember and injured 20 others. Iranian media report on attacks against ships by saying that they violate Iran's directives without mentioning Iran as the perpetrator.

The Houthis in Yemen have intensified their attacks on Iranian ships that are passing through the Strait of Hormuz. They have also targeted oil rigs at another oil clog on the Arabian Peninsula, between the Red Sea Gulf of Aden. (Additional reporting from Nafisa Altahir in Dubai, writing by PhilippaFletcher and editing by Toby Chopra.)

(source: Reuters)