CNN: Oman Proposes Dual Shipping Lanes in Strait of Hormuz

MUSCAT — CNN reported Saturday that Oman has prepared a proposal to manage maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz through two separate lanes, according to a source familiar with the talks.

Under the draft arrangement, which has not yet been finalized, both lanes would remain open. 

The southern passage, running through Omani territorial waters, would allow free navigation as before the war. 

Vessels using the northern lane, which passes through Iranian waters, would require prior approval from Tehran, though no transit fees would be imposed.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met his Omani counterpart Badr al-Busaidi in Muscat on Saturday to discuss mechanisms for ensuring safe passage.

The proposal comes as U.S. officials confirmed that Washington and Tehran are set to resume negotiations in Oman, with the U.S. demanding Iran publicly declare all Hormuz routes open and pledge not to target ships.

If Iran does not announce Saturday that Hormuz is open as it was before the war, it will not be a good day for them,” one official told ABC News.

Talks between the U.S. and Iran have so far yielded little progress, despite two rounds of negotiations one direct in Switzerland and another indirect in Qatar following the June memorandum of understanding.

In an effort to revive diplomacy, a Qatari delegation arrived in Tehran Friday, while Pakistan urged Iran to preserve “hard-won peace gains” with Washington, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

The Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which nearly 20 percent of global oil trade passes, remains at the center of tensions, with Iran insisting on conditions for transit despite international law guaranteeing unimpeded passage.