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Investing.com - Iran could offer to allow ships to sail freely through the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz without risk of attack as part of proposals in negotiations with the United States, a source briefed by Tehran told Reuters on Wednesday.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has resulted in the largest-ever disruption of global oil and gas supplies due to Iran’s interruption of traffic through the strait, which handles about 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flows.
Hundreds of tankers and other ships and 20,000 seafarers have been stuck inside the Gulf since the war began on February 28. A two-week ceasefire came into effect on April 8 and President Donald Trump said Wednesday the war was close to over, but control over the Strait of Hormuz remains a key issue in negotiations.
The report, said Iran could be willing to let ships use the other side of the narrow strait in Omani waters without any hindrance from Tehran. However, it further added that the proposal hinged on whether Washington was prepared to meet Tehran’s demands, a condition that was central to any potential breakthrough with the Strait of Hormuz.
The source did not say whether Iran would also agree to clear any mines it may have placed in that stretch of water or if all ships, even those linked to Israel, would be allowed to pass freely.
The strait, a strip of water only 34 km (21 miles) wide between Iran and Oman, provides passage from the Gulf to the Indian Ocean and is a main route for energy supplies from the Middle East and other vital goods including fertilisers.
The proposal would be the first visible step by Tehran to pull back from more combative ideas floated in recent weeks, which included charging ships for passage through the international waterway and imposing sovereignty on the strait - seen by the global shipping industry as unprecedented unilateral steps in breach of maritime conventions.
