Muscat, Tehran set the principles of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz
Iran's Fars news agency confirmed that the Strait of Hormuz will remain under Iran's administration according to the latest texts exchanged between Tehran and Washington, stressing that US President Donald Trump's announcement on the "reopening of the strait" within an agreement that has been "largely negotiated" is incomplete and does not reflect reality.
The agency quoted informed sources as saying that most of the draft items mentioned by the American website Axios have been verified, and although there has been no official confirmation from Tehran, indications indicate that a decision is imminent.
According to the US official who spoke to Axios, the proposed agreement includes reopening the strait, allowing Iran to sell oil freely, and entering into negotiations on the nuclear program, contributing to avoiding escalation and easing pressure on global energy supplies.
Iranian delegation discusses principles of freedom of navigation in Muscat
In a related context, an Iranian diplomatic and legal delegation discussed with Omani officials the principles of freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement by the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The statement explained that Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi received a verbal message from his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araqchi, which addressed the Iranian-American talks through Pakistani mediation, and the keenness of the two countries to resume navigation in the strait in a safe and sustainable manner.
Following the meeting, the two sides held an extensive meeting to discuss the legal principles governing the movement of shipping and trade through the Strait, in light of regional developments and the need to strengthen capacities to ensure the safety of supply lines.
Republican criticism of Trump's Iran deal
In the United States, the deal announced by Trump was close to being reached has faced widespread criticism from top Republicans, who have argued that any understanding that recognizes Iran's ability to control the strait would entrench it as a hegemonic power in the region.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham revealed the extent of concern within American and Israeli circles about the growth of Iranian influence in the region, considering that any agreement with Tehran against the background of the Strait of Hormuz file will consolidate Iran as a hegemonic power that imposes its equations on Washington and its allies.
Graham said reaching a deal with Iran because of the conviction that the Strait of Hormuz cannot be protected from Iranian control, and that Tehran still has the ability to strike at the Gulf's major oil infrastructure, would mean viewing it as a regional power that could only be bypassed through diplomatic solutions.
He added in a post on "X" that this reality, represented by Iran's ability to control the strait and possess deterrence tools capable of inflicting significant damage on Gulf oil facilities, constitutes a major shift in the balance of power in the region, considering that it will be a "nightmare for Israel" in the long term.
Graham, who is one of the most prominent defenders of the occupation state in the US Congress, continued that if these data are true, it raises serious questions about the reasons for the outbreak of the war in the first place, in an implicit acknowledgment of the failure of Trump's policies to break Iran's power or impose facts on it by military force.
"Epic Fury" to no avail
Republican Senator Tom Cotton, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, shared Graham's concerns about the terms of the Iran deal, though they did not explicitly mention Trump in their posts.
Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, separately warned that "a rumored 60-day ceasefire — with the belief that Iran will engage in good faith — would be a disaster."
He added, "Everything that has been accomplished through Operation Epic Fury will be in vain!" , referring to the war with Iran that Washington has given that name, blaming Trump's advisers for pushing him to conclude a deal with Iran that is "not worth the paper that was written on it."
Similarly, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who served under Trump during his first term, warned that the stated terms of the deal "do not in any way serve America's interest first."
Pompeo likened the emerging deal to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal struck by the Obama administration, saying it appeared to be "taken directly from Wendy Sherman, Robert Malley, and Ben Rhodes' book: Pay the IRGC to Build a Weapons of Mass Destruction Program and Terrorize the World."
"This is by no means the motto of America First," he said.. It's clear: open the damn strait.. Prevent Iran from accessing the funds.They destroyed enough Iranian capabilities so that they couldn't threaten our allies in the region," he said, adding, "We're late.Let's go."
Enriched uranium coil... A crucial element of the agreement
The New York Times quoted U.S. officials as saying that one of the key clauses in the proposed deal is a pledge and Iran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, with technical details deferred to a later round of negotiations.
According to the newspaper, Washington has informed Tehran through intermediaries that it will withdraw from the talks and resume its military operations if a preliminary understanding is not reached on the nuclear stockpile.
Reports suggest that the Isfahan facility, which has previously been hit by U.S. strikes, houses the bulk of the stockpile, and that military options—including bunker-piercing bombs—were on Trump's table.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has estimated Iran's stockpile at [aa1] 970 pounds of 60% enriched uranium, and the fate of this stockpile remains a key focus of any future deal.