The United States expects Iran and Oman to reach an agreement soon that could lead the way for normal commercial shipping to resume through the Strait of Hormuz, a US official told Reuters.
The official said discussions between Tehran and Muscat over the strategic waterway had made progress and that a deal could be announced soon.
"There is progress between Oman and Iran on the strait, and we expect a deal soon," the official told Reuters on Friday. "Once the deal is announced to restore commercial shipping without impediments, the United States will lift the blockade of Iranian ports."
The official added that any further US action would depend on Iran fulfilling its commitments.
"As always, US actions will continue to be performance-based and tied to Iran's implementation of its commitments," the official said.
ALSO READ: 20% Cargo Fine, Ban On 'Hostile' Nations: Six Key Takeaways From Iran-Oman Hormuz Deal
Before the US and Israel launched their war against Iran, roughly one in every five barrels of oil consumed globally passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The disruption has therefore had major consequences for global energy markets, with reduced oil shipments pushing energy prices higher and contributing to inflationary pressures.
The waterway is particularly important because it connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the wider Indian Ocean, making it one of the world's most important energy chokepoints.
The latest US assessment however, does not mean that a final agreement has been reached. As reported by Reuters, the Trump administration has repeatedly indicated in recent weeks that a deal to reopen the Strait could be close, however Iran has at times denied that talks were taking place.
Iranian attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz have been accompanied by attacks by Houthis, an Iran-aligned group based in Yemen. The Houthis have targeted shipping around another major maritime chokepoint between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.
Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) said on August 7 that 15 of its vessels had been struck while transiting the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the conflict. According to ADNOC, those incidents killed one crew member and wounded 20 others.
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan Sign Defence Pact
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed a new joint agreement in Mecca on Friday, August 7.
The agreement is called the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement and establishes a mutual defence principle under which an armed attack against one of the three countries would be regarded as an attack against all three, Reuters reported.
The three countries described the agreement as an effort to strengthen collective deterrence against aggression.
The pact was signed by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salem, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
The pact comes amid a wider regional conflict involving Iran, Israel, the United States and Iran-backed groups, with Gulf states also facing security and energy threats.
The timing of the pact makes the development particularly significant because Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan are Sunni majority countries, while Iran is predominantly Shi'ite. Reuters described the three signatories as Sunni Muslim US allies.
The pact also brings together three militarily and strategically significant Muslim majority countries.
- Turkey has Nato's second largest military, according to Reuters.
- Saudi Arabia is one of the world's largest oil exporters and is home to Islam's two holiest sites.
- Pakistan is the world's only nuclear armed Muslim majority country.
Despite the combination, Saudi officials have explicitly rejected portraying the arrangement as a new military axis or sectarian alliance.
The two developments together suggest that, even as Washington pursues a diplomatic route to reopen one of the world's most important energy chokepoints, regional powers are simultaneously moving toward greater independent security coordination amid uncertainty over the future regional security order, according to Reuters.
The precise military implications of the new pact and the durability of any Hormuz agreement remain uncertain.
ALSO READ: Iran Weighs Letting European Nations Clear Mines To Restore Hormuz Shipping
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