Iran, Oman discuss temporary corridor through Hormuz, to clear it of mines
US-Iran war: Donald Trump also said that all mines had been detonated or removed from international waters of the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran had been warned any ship or boat placing new mines would be destroyed.
- Aug 26, 2026,
- Updated Aug 26, 2026 8:07 AM IST
US-Iran war: Iran and Oman said on Tuesday that they discussed a joint temporary navigational corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and agreed to clear it of mines. Tehran said it had restarted talks with its neighbour to manage the waterway amid heightened economic pressure from US President Donald Trump.
Iran and Oman have been in on-and-off talks for weeks about controlling traffic through the strategic waterway, which handled one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war began in February. Most shipping has been shut down since then. Although active hostilities between the US and Iran have largely subsided, diplomatic efforts to reach a peace deal have stalled and passage through the waterway remains perilous.
MUST READ | Escalating Hormuz crisis: Boris Johnson sees India as key to US exit strategy in Iran
Trump said on Tuesday that all mines had been detonated or removed from international waters of the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran had been warned any ship or boat placing new mines would be destroyed. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States, through its Space Force, was monitoring every square inch of the strait, a key waterway in the global energy supply chain. He added that there was a zero tolerance policy on mine placement in full force.
The US and Iran have not conducted airstrikes on each other's militaries for weeks, but attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz have continued. An oil tanker was struck on Tuesday by an unidentified projectile and disabled about 9 nautical miles north-east of Oman's Ash Shishah, at the entrance to the strait, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said.
DON'T MISS | Trump doubles down on Hormuz claim, shares map calling strait 'NEW US Territory'
Oil transits through the strait were at 5 million barrels per day on Monday, provisional data from shiptracker Vortexa showed, down from more than 20 million per day before the war, or about one of every five barrels consumed worldwide.
Despite the tensions, the US is beginning to send personnel back to some diplomatic missions in the Middle East that were evacuated or downsized amid tensions with Iran, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The move suggests Washington sees a lower risk of the conflict with Iran escalating in the near term, though some embassies will initially operate below full capacity.
Earlier this week, the United States threatened to punish countries that continue to do business with Iran to hobble its economy but said it would not impose penalties immediately.
US-Iran war: Iran and Oman said on Tuesday that they discussed a joint temporary navigational corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and agreed to clear it of mines. Tehran said it had restarted talks with its neighbour to manage the waterway amid heightened economic pressure from US President Donald Trump.
Iran and Oman have been in on-and-off talks for weeks about controlling traffic through the strategic waterway, which handled one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war began in February. Most shipping has been shut down since then. Although active hostilities between the US and Iran have largely subsided, diplomatic efforts to reach a peace deal have stalled and passage through the waterway remains perilous.
MUST READ | Escalating Hormuz crisis: Boris Johnson sees India as key to US exit strategy in Iran
Trump said on Tuesday that all mines had been detonated or removed from international waters of the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran had been warned any ship or boat placing new mines would be destroyed. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States, through its Space Force, was monitoring every square inch of the strait, a key waterway in the global energy supply chain. He added that there was a zero tolerance policy on mine placement in full force.
The US and Iran have not conducted airstrikes on each other's militaries for weeks, but attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz have continued. An oil tanker was struck on Tuesday by an unidentified projectile and disabled about 9 nautical miles north-east of Oman's Ash Shishah, at the entrance to the strait, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said.
DON'T MISS | Trump doubles down on Hormuz claim, shares map calling strait 'NEW US Territory'
Oil transits through the strait were at 5 million barrels per day on Monday, provisional data from shiptracker Vortexa showed, down from more than 20 million per day before the war, or about one of every five barrels consumed worldwide.
Despite the tensions, the US is beginning to send personnel back to some diplomatic missions in the Middle East that were evacuated or downsized amid tensions with Iran, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters. The move suggests Washington sees a lower risk of the conflict with Iran escalating in the near term, though some embassies will initially operate below full capacity.
Earlier this week, the United States threatened to punish countries that continue to do business with Iran to hobble its economy but said it would not impose penalties immediately.