US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: The Strait of Hormuz has been caught between military pressure and efforts to restore commercial shipping for weeks. Now, Iran says it is close to a new arrangement with Oman that could create a controlled shipping corridor through the strategic waterway, even as Tehran prepares to announce a much wider restricted zone around it.
The proposed arrangement comes at a critical moment for global energy markets. Commercial traffic through Hormuz has dropped sharply following fresh US and Iranian attacks on vessels, while crude prices have moved close to $100 a barrel. Reuters reported that the average number of commodity ships crossing the strait over the past 10 days fell to 10 a day, the lowest level since May.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Iran Plans New Restricted Zone Around Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said Tehran will announce a new exclusion zone around the Strait of Hormuz in the coming days.
The proposed zone would begin around the line of the US naval blockade, extend toward the Strait of Hormuz and continue into the Persian Gulf. Tehran says ships entering the area without coordinating with Iranian authorities could face sanctions.
Rezaei gave few details about the exact boundaries of the zone or how Iran would enforce it. Al Jazeera reported that Tehran has not yet explained precisely what restrictions vessels would face inside the proposed area.
The announcement adds another layer of uncertainty for shipping companies already dealing with attacks, military escorts and competing navigation instructions from Iran and Oman.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Iran and Oman Near Deal on New Shipping Route
Alongside the exclusion-zone plan, Iran says it is preparing to sign an agreement with Oman for a new international shipping corridor through Hormuz.
Rezaei said maps for the new route, which would pass through Iranian and Omani waters, have been agreed and are expected to be signed soon. Under the latest proposal, Iran would manage the corridor in coordination with Oman.
The proposal follows weeks of discussions between Tehran and Muscat over how commercial vessels could safely cross the waterway.
Earlier plans had explored separate responsibilities for the two countries. The latest version would give Iran a greater management role over the corridor.
However, Lloyd’s List reported that the International Maritime Organization had not yet received an official proposal for the new arrangement.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Why the Strait of Hormuz Matters to Global Oil Markets?
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy routes. Before the current conflict, more than 130 ships crossed the waterway each day, according to data cited by Al Jazeera.
The sharp fall in traffic has raised concerns about oil supplies and shipping costs.
Kpler data cited by Reuters showed that the 10-day average had fallen to 10 commodity vessels per day. Only two vessels crossed the strait on Saturday and six on Sunday, with ships largely relying on routes approved by Iran.
The decline is particularly significant because the waterway carries a major share of global oil and gas shipments.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: US Strikes Three Iranian Oil Tankers
The latest shipping crisis intensified after US forces struck three Iranian oil tankers over the weekend.
The attacks followed Iran’s launch of ballistic missiles toward US warships. The US said the strikes were a response to Iranian attacks on American military and commercial interests.
US Central Command said the tanker strikes were intended to impose a higher economic cost on Iran. One of the targeted vessels later sank, according to US military reporting.
Iran then said it had targeted vessels traveling through routes it considered unauthorized.
The exchange has effectively brought commercial shipping deeper into the military confrontation, increasing the risks for tanker operators and crews.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Hormuz Traffic Falls to Lowest Level Since May
The impact is already visible in shipping data.
Reuters reported that the average daily transit of commodity vessels through Hormuz fell to 10 over the 10-day period ending Sunday. That was down from more than 15 vessels on Friday.
The numbers remain far below prewar levels.
The reduction is also affecting the movement of crude tankers. Reuters reported that no very large crude carriers had exited the strait since Wednesday, while some vessels attempting to move through the waterway faced increasing uncertainty.
The competing claims from Washington and Tehran have made the situation even harder for shipping companies to assess.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Oil Prices Move Closer to $100
Markets have reacted quickly to the renewed attacks.
Brent crude moved near six-week highs on Monday and approached the $100-a-barrel level as traders assessed the possibility of further disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Goldman Sachs has warned that Brent could climb as high as $120 a barrel if attacks on commercial vessels intensify.
That scenario would put additional pressure on fuel prices, transport costs and economies that rely heavily on imported crude.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Iran Says Hormuz Will Not Fully Reopen Yet
Tehran continues to reject the idea that the waterway has returned to normal.
Iran says it will not allow unrestricted passage while US military attacks and the naval blockade remain in place. The proposed shipping corridor with Oman therefore appears designed to create a controlled system rather than restore completely unrestricted navigation.
Rezaei said, “We will only commit to the Strait of Hormuz being open when they [the Americans] stop the sabotage, threats and attacks on Iran.”
Iran has already published its own preferred navigation route and warned vessels against using routes that Tehran has not approved. Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s authorised route currently runs closer to its coastline, while Oman has previously worked with the IMO on an alternative southern corridor.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: Can Iran Enforce a Wider Exclusion Zone?
The biggest question is whether Tehran can actually enforce the proposed restricted zone.
Iran has demonstrated that it can make commercial shipping through Hormuz dangerous, but expanding control over a much larger maritime area would create a direct challenge to US naval forces operating in the region.
Experts cited by Al Jazeera questioned whether Iranian forces could sustain enforcement against vessels protected by the US military.
For shipping companies, however, the uncertainty itself could be enough to keep traffic depressed. Even without a formal closure, the threat of attack, detention or sanctions can encourage operators to delay voyages or choose alternative routes.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest Live News: What Happens Next for the Iran-Oman Corridor?
The proposed Iran-Oman agreement could offer a possible route for restoring some commercial traffic, but several questions remain unanswered.
The exact boundaries of the new restricted zone, the final navigation maps, the role of Oman and the IMO’s position will all matter before shipping companies can treat the proposed corridor as a reliable route.
For now, the Strait of Hormuz remains caught between diplomacy and military escalation. Iran is simultaneously negotiating a controlled passage with Oman and threatening tougher restrictions on vessels that ignore its instructions.
With traffic already at its lowest level since May and oil prices approaching $100 a barrel, any further attacks could have consequences well beyond the Gulf.
