A deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, at least temporarily, is close at hand, according to a series of reports on Wednesday.
According to the Associated Press, President Donald Trump said Tuesday night that a deal could be near reopening the important waterway. Indeed, officials from Iran and Oman told the AP on Wednesday that they had “finalized the draft deal” to reopen the Strait and that it was awaiting final approval from Iran’s Supreme Leader.
President Donald Trump boards Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House en route to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland on Thursday, September 11, 2025, for a trip to New York. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, confirmed to the AP that the deal was in “final stages” of drafting, and that a joint statement would be issued, so long as “certain parties do not obstruct this process.”
The deal, the AP added, is “tied to” the Memorandum of Understanding that was agreed to in mid-June, which halted the earlier version of the war. The deal will also pave the way for further talks on Iran’s potential denuclearization.
President Donald J. Trump signs an Executive Order creating an anti-fraud task force to be led by Vice President JD Vance, Monday, March 16, 2026, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Molly Riley)
What’s in the Deal
The agreement, as discussed throughout the talks, called for Iran to control incoming ship traffic to the Strait of Hormuz, while Oman would control outbound traffic.
Axios on Wednesday reported that the U.S., Iran, and Oman were “closing in” on an interim agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and that an announcement was expected as soon as Wednesday.
Axios stated that the deal, in which inbound shipping traffic would go through an Iran-supervised Northern lane and outbound traffic would travel through an Oman-controlled Southern lane, would include no fees for 60 days.
The two parties, per Axios, would also work together to clear the Strait of naval mines over the next 30 days.
Despite some confusion in recent days about whether talks between the U.S. and Iran had resumed, Axios reported that there had been “several calls” among U.S. negotiator Steve Witkoff, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, and Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi.
On Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had said that progress had been made on a potential deal, but that there was no “finality” yet.
“I Want to Give Them Every Last Chance Before Decapitation”
Trump, however, was still talking tough as of Monday, even while promising that a deal was close to opening the Strait.
“This is a last chance,” Trump said of the Iranians. “This is a last chance for them to sign a good document.”
Trump, last Saturday, had suddenly backed off threats to launch the largest military strike since World War II because of a sudden diplomatic opening.
“I want to give them every last chance before decapitation,” Trump said in the Monday Oval Office appearance. It’s not clear what Trump meant by “decapitation,” although that term has been used in the past to reference the strike at the beginning of the war that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khameini and other Iranian leaders. It was seen at the time as an attempt to kick-start the end of the Iranian regime.
President of “Last Chances”
As the New York Post noted, Trump has given Iran many “last chances” — at least a dozen since the war started in February. The president, on a nearly monthly basis, has threatened a major attack, sometimes on a specific target in Iran, such as Pickaxe Mountain or power plants, before nearly always backing down.
“I think I’m very proud of the fact that I will give people a chance,” Trump told reporters. “This is a big move to do an attack that big on a country I’d rather not do.”
About the Author: Stephen Silver
Stephen Silver is an award-winning journalist, essayist, and film critic, and contributor to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Broad Street Review, and Splice Today. The co-founder of the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle, Stephen lives in suburban Philadelphia with his wife and two sons. For over a decade, Stephen has authored thousands of articles that focus on politics, national security, technology, and the economy. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at @StephenSilver, and subscribe to his Substack newsletter.
