Trump: Hormuz deal imminent, strait could open Wednesday

Axios reported Iran and Oman would jointly manage separate inbound and outbound shipping lanes.

By World Israel News Staff

President Donald Trump announced that negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz were progressing rapidly, saying he expects the strategically vital waterway to reopen soon while warning that the United States is prepared to use military force if diplomacy fails.

“The Strait of Hormuz will open very soon,” Trump told Fox News. He stressed that if the critical maritime passageway is not reopened, Iran “will be hit very hard.”

Trump said the negotiations intensified after Iranian officials reached out to Washington, describing marathon talks that continued throughout Tuesday.

Trump stressed that negotiations over reopening the Strait had been held in a marathon, all-day format on Tuesday after the Iranians called Trump and “asked very politely, ‘Please, can we talk?'”

He added that “we are having very good discussions with the Iranians, we will know where we stand within 48 hours.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also expressed optimism that an agreement was close, suggesting negotiators were making significant progress toward restoring commercial shipping through one of the world’s busiest energy corridors.

Bessent stressed that there is “chance we may have a deal today or tomorrow to open the strait and move towards a more normalised position in this conflict,” he told CNBC.

“It would be freedom of movement,” he added, when asked whether Iran would be allowed to charge for ships passing through.

An Axios report revealed additional details of the proposed agreement, including a framework that would divide responsibility for managing maritime traffic between Iran and neighboring Oman.

Under the reported terms, all inbound commercial shipping entering the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz would travel in a northern shipping lane passing through Iranian territorial waters.

Outbound vessels heading toward the Arabian Sea would use a southern lane passing through Omani territorial waters, with the arrangement requiring coordination between the two neighboring countries.

The report also said that no tolls or transit fees would be charged during the agreement’s first 60 days, ensuring unrestricted passage for commercial shipping while confidence-building measures are implemented.