Some details emerged yesterday about the impending meeting with Oman that the Iranians announced on Friday. A source reportedly close to the Iranian negotiating team told Tasnim that, following the intensive technical and diplomatic talks which culminated in a final agreement in late August, the understanding between Tehran and Muscat is set to be announced soon, in the presence of foreign ministers from the Persian Gulf littoral states. The source noted that this understanding is only between Iran and Oman, and other nations will attend the upcoming meeting solely to be briefed on the route details and transit arrangements, thereby implicitly signaling to the international community that they do not object to the plan.

According to the source, the understanding establishes specific details for new entry and exit routes through the strait shared by Iran and Oman. Under this arrangement, the inbound route to the Persian Gulf lies entirely within Iranian territorial waters, as does a portion of the outbound route. The source added that transit along this route will be governed by Iranian protocols and, once implemented, the southern route, which the US had insisted upon opening, and which had been a primary source of recent tensions, will be closed.