Iran and Oman have moved the Strait of Hormuz dispute into a formal working group, turning a temporary reopening of the waterway into a fresh test of the U.S.-Iran peace process.
The new angle is not that Hormuz is open. That has been the central claim of the interim deal for days. The sharper issue is who writes the rules after the 60-day no-charge period and whether Iran can attach service costs to one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints without reigniting the crisis.
The Guardian reported Tuesday that Iran and Oman issued a joint statement saying their foreign ministries would form a working group on the future administration of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, including the services provided and the costs associated with them. The same report said Oman’s foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, stressed that both sides remained committed to toll-free safe passage.
The Working Group Puts Hormuz Back At The Center Of The Deal
The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a core route for oil and liquefied natural gas exports. That is why a technical dispute over administration is bigger than a maritime paperwork issue. If shipowners, insurers, or governments believe fees could become a political weapon, the confidence needed to normalize traffic can weaken fast.
The Hindu reported that Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Tehran will administer the strait after talks aimed at ending the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. The paper also reported that technical talks between Iran and the United States in Switzerland had concluded, with negotiation groups being set up on nuclear issues and sanctions.
That combination matters. Washington has framed the interim arrangement as a reopening of Hormuz and a step toward a permanent settlement. Tehran is accepting the current traffic opening while preserving its argument that the postwar strait will not simply return to prewar terms.
Open Water, Unsettled Rules
The Associated Press, in a report carried by NPR member station KUNC, said U.S. officials have discussed mechanisms to keep Hormuz open, while ship traffic is increasing and questions remain over who controls the strait. That same report noted broader disagreements between U.S. and Iranian accounts of the talks, including nuclear inspections and the use of unfrozen Iranian assets.
Those disputes make the Hormuz working group more important. A paper commitment to safe passage is useful, but commercial traffic depends on predictable enforcement. The moment fees, sovereignty claims, or inspection authority become ambiguous, the market starts pricing risk again.
Iran and Oman have both emphasized sovereign rights over their territorial waters. Oman, however, is also signaling that safe passage should remain toll-free. That leaves negotiators with a narrow path: give Iran and Oman a face-saving administrative role while convincing shipping firms and Gulf states that no new barrier is being built at the mouth of the Gulf.
Why This Is A Fresh Flashpoint
Earlier U.S.-Iran talks lowered the immediate military temperature around Hormuz. This working group shifts attention to implementation. It is the difference between announcing that the strait is open and proving that it will stay commercially usable under clear rules.
The timing is awkward for Washington. President Donald Trump has said Iran agreed to high-level nuclear inspections and that the strait would remain open, while Iranian officials have disputed parts of the U.S. version of events. In that atmosphere, a maritime working group can either stabilize the deal or become the first place where the two sides openly test each other’s red lines.
For now, the practical takeaway is simple: Hormuz is no longer just a blockade story. It is becoming an administration fight. If Iran, Oman, the United States, and Gulf states can settle the rules, shipping confidence may keep recovering. If not, the waterway that just symbolized de-escalation could become the next pressure point in the Iran crisis.
Featured image: Map of the Strait of Hormuz by Goran tek-en via Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.