A tentative agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz without tolls could be announced imminently, involving the United States, Iran and Oman, after recent tensions briefly cooled and negotiations resumed.
Diplomats and officials are reportedly close to a short-term understanding to keep traffic through the Strait of Hormuz moving without charging passage fees, a move meant to calm shipping and global markets while talks continue. The waterway is a choke point for global energy and trade, so even a temporary arrangement would send a clear signal that parties want to avoid escalation. This possible agreement has surfaced as a pause in hostilities followed intense posturing in the region.
The proposal under discussion would establish a toll-free plan for the strait for 60-days between Oman and the Islamic Republic, a measure intended to give trading partners and carriers breathing room. That 60-days window would be aimed at stabilizing commercial routes and preventing the kind of disruptions that immediately spike fuel prices and rattlesupply chains. Officials framed the plan as a pragmatic, time-limited step rather than a long-term settlement.
The apparent breakthrough comes after President Donald Trump stepped back from ordering a large-scale strike, a decision officials say opened a path to diplomacy. Trump described a direct appeal that influenced his restraint, saying, “They called me and they said, ‘Please don’t attack, we’ll make a deal.’ That’s the real truth and everyone knows it, and who wouldn’t call?” That remark was made in the Oval Office and has been cited as a factor that altered the immediate course of action.
Behind the scenes, Washington and Tehran had already laid groundwork with a Memorandum of Understanding earlier this summer that was intended to clear the way for deeper discussions. The MOU was presented publicly as a first step, not an end state, and it appears to have created a channel for negotiators to explore limited, practical measures. Those lower-stakes steps are now being tested to see whether they can produce results without forcing either side to commit to a sweeping agreement.
Oman’s role in the talks has been highlighted as crucial, given its geographical position and history of quiet diplomacy in the Gulf. As a neighboring state that sits along the entrance to the strait, Oman provides a unique conduit for communications and logistics between Tehran and other Gulf capitals. Diplomatic sources note that Oman’s involvement gives the plan a regional legitimacy that pure bilateral deals might lack.
Not everyone is convinced this approach will satisfy all parties, particularly Israel, which has signaled it will act on its own security judgments regardless of any broader deal. The Israeli government has stated it will continue to curtail Iran independent of any agreement between other nations, underlining a persistent fracture in regional trust. That position complicates matters because it means any U.S.-Iran-Oman arrangement might not remove pressure from other regional actors.
“President Trump is our greatest friend, the greatest friend we’ve ever had in the White House. The United States is our greatest ally, and we deeply appreciate our joint efforts against Iran’s nuclear ambitions,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday, according to i24NEWS. “But let me be clear: Israel’s existence is not negotiable. With or without an agreement, I am determined, and we are all determined to do whatever is necessary to ensure our security and our future,” he added.
If a short-term toll-free arrangement is announced, it will be presented as a narrowly tailored move designed to keep commerce flowing while negotiators test whether confidence-building measures can stick. The hope among some policymakers is that a limited, enforceable pause on tolls will reduce incentives for military escalation and give time for further talks. Skeptics worry that temporary fixes could be exploited for political gains without resolving deeper disputes.
Any public declaration of a deal would likely be accompanied by carefully staged statements from the three capitals emphasizing stability and safeguards, while still preserving each side’s core positions. Observers expect careful language to avoid implying recognition or broader concessions beyond the operational terms for the strait. For now, the situation remains fluid, with negotiators reportedly racing to finalize terms that could be announced quickly.
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Given the strategic and economic stakes tied to Hormuz, the short-term plan would need clear enforcement mechanisms and monitoring to reassure shipping lines and insurers. Mariners and logistics firms watch these developments closely because disruptions have immediate global effects on fuel costs and delivery schedules. Whether this tentative approach becomes a durable solution will depend on how well it manages the competing security and political interests in the region.
