US-Israel-Iran War Live News: The war between the US and Iran has escalated, and the Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the conflict for both sides.
Iran has now drawn a clear line between its technical talks with Oman over shipping routes and the much bigger question of reopening the Strait of Hormuz, saying the two issues should not be treated as the same.Â
Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi said Tehran and Muscat are working on temporary maritime routes because earlier navigation lanes are no longer usable. Still, any decision to restore normal shipping will depend on separate conditions involving the US.Â
US-Israel-Iran War Live News: Oman Talks Focus Only On New Shipping Route
Araghchi said Iran’s discussions with Oman remain focused on a technical maritime issue rather than a political decision to reopen the waterway.
“Our negotiations with Oman are ongoing. That is a completely separate matter. It is a technical issue concerning the designation of maritime routes in the Strait of Hormuz for the passage of ships,” Araghchi said.
He explained that Iran and Oman need to establish a replacement route because the earlier navigation lanes are no longer operational. “For now, we are designing a temporary route, which can then, at a later stage, be turned into a final route,” he noted.
Iranian and Omani officials have been working on the proposed corridor for several days. Earlier reports said the two countries were close to an agreement on a temporary shipping route, but Tehran has repeatedly warned that such an arrangement would not automatically restore normal traffic through Hormuz.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: Iran Says Hormuz Reopening Needs Separate US Conditions
Araghchi stressed that reaching an agreement with Oman on navigation does not mean Iran has decided to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“We may reach an outcome soon, but I want to emphasise that these negotiations and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz are two separate issues. This is a technical negotiation concerning the designation of a maritime route,” he reiterated.
The Iranian foreign minister said the next decision would depend on whether Washington fulfils conditions set by Tehran.
“Once this route has been determined, whether the Strait will be reopened or not will depend on the fulfilment of other conditions to which the United States must adhere,” Araghchi stated.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: Trump Threatens To Declare Strait of Hormuz US Territory
The dispute escalated after Trump said he plans to declare the Strait of Hormuz US territory after the war with Iran ends.
Speaking at a rally in Long Island, Trump said, “After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated — pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States.”
Trump has also claimed that the US currently has control over the strategic waterway.
In an earlier statement, Trump asserted, “The USA has total control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE WILL KEEP IT! Our Naval Blockade is being called, by everyone, ‘A WALL OF STEEL,’ and there is nothing Iran can do about it.”
US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: Iran Rejects Trump’s Hormuz Claim
Tehran has dismissed Trump’s claim and insisted that Washington cannot simply take control of the waterway. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi directly responded to Trump’s remarks on X.
“Trump has said that after Iran’s defeat, he will soon declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory! The Strait of Hormuz cannot be seized by tweet, nor by aircraft carrier, nor by issuing an order, nor by an election speech. Iran neither fears threats nor cowers before displays of power,” Gharibabadi said.
He further insisted that Iran would continue to determine access to the strategic waterway.
“Once and for all, accept the reality: up to this point, you have suffered strategic and heavy defeats; the Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian; this strait will only be closed and opened under Iran’s command, and as long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and cease your fanciful delusions, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade,” he added.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: Iranian Lawmaker Warns Trump Over Hormuz Threat
The political rhetoric has also intensified inside Iran. Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s National Security Commission, criticised Trump’s repeated comments about the Strait of Hormuz and warned the US president against what he described as continued threats.
“The U.S. President ought to worry about his own security rather than his endless bluffing regarding the Strait of Hormuz; before he ends up hiding in a food truck,” he wrote on X. The statement followed Trump’s announcement that he intended to claim the strategic waterway as US territory.
Iranian officials have consistently rejected any suggestion that Washington can unilaterally determine the status or access of the strait. Gharibabadi’s comments also showed that Tehran intends to maintain its position that the waterway will remain under Iranian control.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: Why Strait of Hormuz Reopening Remains Uncertain
The proposed Oman shipping route could help address an immediate navigation problem, but it does not resolve the wider dispute between Iran and the US.
Iran and Oman have been negotiating a new route because existing transit lanes have become unusable. Earlier in August, Iranian officials said the two sides were close to completing an agreement, while stressing that the deal alone would not reopen the waterway.
The reopening question remains tied to the larger US-Iran confrontation. Tehran has demanded that Washington meet specific conditions before it restores normal shipping, while the US wants the waterway reopened as part of efforts to ease the economic impact of the conflict.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: US-Iran Talks Remain Key To Hormuz Reopening
The future of the Strait of Hormuz remains closely connected to the stalled diplomatic process between Washington and Tehran.
Iran has said there is no immediate decision on returning to direct talks with the US, while Washington continues to push for progress on the waterway and the broader conflict. Araghchi’s latest comments suggest Tehran does not view the Oman shipping negotiations as a substitute for resolving its dispute with Washington.
The situation leaves two separate tracks running at the same time: Iran and Oman are trying to work out a practical navigation route, while Iran and the US remain divided over the political and security conditions required for the Strait of Hormuz to fully reopen.
US-Israel-Iran War Latest News: What Happens Next?
The immediate question is whether Iran and Oman can finalise their temporary maritime route and whether that arrangement will allow some vessels to resume transit.
But even if Tehran and Muscat reach an agreement, Araghchi’s comments make clear that Iran will not automatically reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The larger decision will depend on the unresolved US-Iran dispute and whether Washington meets the conditions Tehran has set for restoring shipping.
Trump’s threat to declare the strait US territory could further complicate those negotiations. Iran has already rejected the claim in strong terms, meaning the strategic waterway is likely to remain one of the biggest flashpoints in the US-Israel-Iran conflict.
