Iran says new Strait of Hormuz shipping route agreed with Oman

We are closing this coverage now. For the latest updates, click here.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has said communication with Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is very "difficult at the moment," but his presence is a "great strength" for the country to continue its path.

The United States and Israel killed Iran's former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on Feb. 28 out of "desperation," expecting Iran to collapse after the "brutal" action, Pezeshkian said in an interview published on the website of his office on Wednesday (local time).

Oil prices were little changed early on Thursday (August 6) as markets weighed growing hopes for a US-Iran diplomatic breakthrough against continued uncertainty over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil shipping chokepoint.

At about 9:54 am Thursday in Tokyo, Aug. 6, the market snapshot showed Brent crude at $79.38 a barrel, down 7 cents, or 0.09%, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was at $75.01, down 21 cents, or 0.28%.

The muted trading followed a sharp sell-off earlier in the week after Qatar said draft proposals for a potential US-Iran agreement were being circulated. Brent plunged 5.3% on Tuesday to settle at $79.36, while WTI fell 5.7% to $75.77 — both three-week lows.

The latest price action suggests traders are pricing in a greater probability of a diplomatic solution, but not yet assuming that the crisis is over.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has briefed his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani on the latest diplomatic developments between Iran and Oman during a phone call on Wednesday, according to Iran's official news agency IRNA.

Both ministers stressed the importance of continuing political and diplomatic consultations and regional cooperation to help reduce tensions, IRNA reported.

Iran tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz on Feb. 28 following their joint US-Israeli strikes on Iranian territory.

Iran responded with missile and drone attacks targeting US military bases and facilities in the region and targets in Israel.

The US military has imposed a naval blockade of Iranian ports in response to Iranian attacks on vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and aimed at "degrading Iran's ability to threaten commercial shipping."

Israeli forces shelled the southern Lebanese town of Majdel Zoun, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported.

The report did not provide details on any casualties or damage from the artillery fire.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said Wednesday they had attacked another Saudi oil tanker, the second in a day as the rebels pressed on with their declared maritime blockade of the kingdom.

In a statement, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said the rebels targeted the "Saudi oil tanker Daisy in the Gulf of Aden with a ballistic missile".

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi met Bahrain's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa in Egypt on Wednesday to discuss the latest regional and international developments, alongside efforts to strengthen bilateral ties.

The two leaders reviewed issues of mutual concern and explored ways to deepen cooperation across a range of sectors.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces have redirected 48 commercial vessels, disabled two and boarded two as part of ongoing maritime operations in the region.

In a post on X on Wednesday, CENTCOM said the figures reflect operations as of August 5.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he discussed Europe's security and the Strait of Hormuz during talks with UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, reaffirming the two countries' commitment to keeping the strategic waterway open.

In a post on X, Rubio said the pair discussed the need for Europe to play a greater role in its own security. He added that they reaffirmed their shared commitment to ensuring open transit through the Strait of Hormuz and preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Iran and Oman are in the final stages of preparing a joint statement on arrangements for commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported on Wednesday, citing Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei.

Baqaei said Tehran and Muscat have been negotiating for two months to establish a safe commercial shipping route, with Iranian authorities reviewing the proposal's technical, legal, security and environmental aspects.

He added that the bilateral understanding alone would not guarantee safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that broader security conditions remain linked to the regional situation and what Iran describes as US actions affecting the waterway. Baqaei also reiterated Tehran's position that the Strait's closure followed US and Israeli military action against Iran.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) has issued a warning after receiving a report of an incident 95 nautical miles southeast of Aden, Yemen.

According to UKMTO, the Master of a tanker reported hearing a loud explosion in close proximity to the vessel. All crew members have been accounted for and are safe, with no environmental impact reported.

Authorities are investigating the incident. UKMTO has advised vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity.

Iran and Oman have agreed a route for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz and are putting the final touches on arrangements for jointly managing the passage, Tehran's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

Qatar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani met Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty in Amman on Wednesday to discuss regional developments and Arab coordination over the situation in occupied Jerusalem.

During the meeting, Sheikh Mohammed stressed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy, urging all parties to implement the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, including ensuring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, while supporting efforts to ease tensions and strengthen regional stability.

The United States on Wednesday lifted sanctions targeting Iraq's Fly Baghdad airline, a company it had previously designated for alleged links to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

In an update to its website, the US Treasury lifted sanctions on Fly Baghdad and two of its aircraft, but maintained its sanctions against a man previously identified as the company's owner, Basheer Abdulkadhim Alwan al-Shabbani.

Washington had originally designated the airline, its aircraft and owner in January 2024, alleging that it provided support to the IRGC's Quds Force and its proxy groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

A US Treasury official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP the airline had been removed after going through the department's administrative reconsideration process.

"FBA (Fly Baghdad Airlines) has demonstrated major changes to their operations such that their listing is no longer warranted," the official said.

They clarified that the removal was "not indicative of any shift in US policy toward the Government of Iran, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Qods Force, any designated terrorist organisation, or any person who supports or acts on behalf of any of these."

Lebanese official media said an Israeli attack on the country's south killed one person on Wednesday, as Israel announced it was carrying out strikes in retaliation for what it said was a Hezbollah ceasefire violation.

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency (NNA) said the Israeli strike "targeted the roof of a prayer area of the cemetery in the town of Tibnin", killing one person and wounding 11 others.

The Israeli military said it began striking targets in southern Lebanon on Wednesday in response to a "blatant violation of the ceasefire" by Iran-backed Hezbollah, just as Israel and Lebanon held talks in Rome.

"In response to a blatant violation of the ceasefire by the Hezbollah terrorist organisation, the IDF has begun conducting precise strikes in southern Lebanon," the military said in a statement, shortly after telling residents to evacuate a village in the area.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi briefed him on ongoing Iran-Oman negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping.

In a post on X, Tajani said he stressed the need for continued dialogue, including with the US, to reach a political solution and ensure freedom of navigation through the vital waterway without tolls or restrictions. The two also discussed Lebanon, with Tajani saying Iran has a key role in helping preserve the ceasefire.

The Israeli military urged residents of a village in southern Lebanon to evacuate immediately on Wednesday ahead of expected attacks against Hezbollah, the first such warning in several weeks.

"In light of Hezbollah's violations of the ceasefire agreement, the Israel Defense Forces are compelled to act... For your safety, you must evacuate your homes immediately and move north," Arabic-language spokeswoman Ella Waweya posted on X, addressing the residents of Al-Mansouri.

The warning came after Lebanon and Israel held US-sponsored talks in Rome, with Beirut seeking Israel's phased withdrawal from the south.

A commercial vessel has sunk after being attacked by an uncrewed surface vessel off the coast of Yemen, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said on Tuesday.

In a post on X, UKMTO said it had received a time-late report of an incident about 9 nautical miles southwest of Al Mukha, Yemen.

According to the report, the vessel's Company Security Officer (CSO) said the ship was attacked by an uncrewed surface vessel (USV), triggering a fire on board.

The crew were rescued by local authorities and are "safe and well," UKMTO said.

The vessel has since been reported as sunk.

UKMTO advised ships transiting the area to exercise caution and report any suspicious activity while authorities investigate the incident.

UN rights chief Volker Turk said Wednesday he was "alarmed" by the rise in executions and death sentences issued in Iran since March, with capital punishment used to "instil fear".

"Since March 19, 2026, at least 56 people have been executed on national security-related charges, including 27 individuals in cases linked to protests at the start of the year," Turk said in a statement.

India's central bank kept interest rates unchanged on Wednesday as it waits to see whether volatile oil prices caused by the Iran war feed wider inflationary pressures.

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said the benchmark repurchase rate, the level at which it lends to commercial banks, would remain at 5.25 percent after a unanimous vote by a six-member panel.

Emerging and frontier market central banks from Indonesia to Sri Lanka have raised rates to curb price rises and boost their currencies since the outbreak of the Middle East crisis in February.

Limited and staggered fuel price hikes by the Indian government have so far shielded citizens from the worst of the war's economic impact but there are signs that this may not hold.

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis said on Wednesday that they had attacked a Saudi oil tanker off Yanbu, in the Red Sea, as the rebels pressed on with their declared maritime blockade of the Saudi Arabia.

The group "successfully targeted the Saudi oil tanker 'Wafa' in the northern Red Sea, off the coast of Yanbu, with a number of ballistic missiles," their military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a video statement, adding this was the eighth ship they targeted since the start of the blockade on July 22.

More than 800,000 people displaced by war in Lebanon have begun returning to their hometowns following a lull in violence amid the Israel-Hezbollah war, the United Nations said.

The announcement late on Tuesday came as Lebanon and Israel began a new round of US-sponsored talks in Rome aimed at ending the fighting, which are scheduled to run until Thursday.

UN humanitarian agency the OCHA said "821,077 people had begun the return to their areas of origin as of 30 July", but added that more than 360,000 remained displaced, around 26,000 of them in government shelters.

Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific said Wednesday that net profit surged 71 percent in the first half of the year, as demand from passengers avoiding the Middle East offset a near doubling of fuel costs caused by the Iran war.

"Our result was positively impacted by ongoing underlying demand for Cathay Pacific and Cathay Cargo, improved performance from HK Express, and stronger contributions from associates," the chair Guy Bradley said in its earnings report.

The airline reported net profit of HK$6.2 billion ($795 million) in the first six months of the year, while revenue increased 25.3 percent on-year to HK$68 billion.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel did not agree to a US-backed plan for Gaza, even after receiving assurances that an Israeli pullout would only happen after Hamas disarms.

In a video posted to his social media accounts on Tuesday night, Netanyahu said the team of US President Donald Trump "believes that they can bring about the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarisation of Gaza. We are checking this. They sent us a draft -- we did not agree to it, it is not our draft. We sent our comments."

US President Donald Trump said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come as soon as Wednesday but warned Iran it would get "hit very hard" if negotiations fell through.

Transit of the waterway, a key conduit for global oil and gas supplies, has been a sticking point in talks and led to renewed fighting following an April ceasefire.

Iran has tightened its grip on Hormuz and wants to control the strait and charge tolls -- powers it did not exercise before the war began on February 28.

Trump said Tuesday a deal with Iran to reopen Hormuz could happen "tomorrow or the next day," telling reporters in California that negotiators "had a very good day."

Iran is pushing hard for a bilateral arrangement with Oman that would formalise Iranian dominance over inbound traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — and visibility/intervention rights over outbound traffic — while sidelining the US and framing it as pure coastal-state sovereignty.

This has been presented by Iranian sources (including the Daily Iran News post citing Press TV) as negotiations held without US participation that create an “intermediate corridor” replacing both the Iran-controlled northern route and any US-backed southern route near Oman.

Iranian statements (Foreign Ministry, Press TV sources) emphasise that these are strictly bilateral coastal-state talks, that Iran does not shape its priorities around US/Trump timelines or demands, and that Trump has “violated his commitments.”

They reject claims that the strait will simply “open tomorrow” under a US-backed deal.

Iran and Oman have made progress in talks on how to manage maritime traffic through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran saying discussions have been positive at both the technical and political levels.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei was quoted by Iran's Today news site as saying the talks with Oman were progressing positively as the two sides worked on a framework for future vessel transit through the waterway.

Baghaei said the discussions are focused on establishing a mechanism for the safe and orderly movement of commercial vessels, but stressed that an agreement on maritime traffic should not automatically be interpreted as a full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has said the waterway will not simply return to its prewar operating conditions and that any new arrangement must take into account Iranian sovereignty and security interests.

Iran is seeking a greater role in controlling shipping through the Strait of Hormuz under a temporary arrangement being negotiated with Oman.

According to a senior Iranian source involved in the talks cited by Reuters, Tehran wants control over ships entering the Gulf through Hormuz, while requiring notification of vessels leaving the Gulf and retaining the ability to "intervene, if necessary". The proposed outbound route would run between Iran and Oman, with Oman issuing exit clearance after notifying Iran.

The arrangement represents a shift from Iran's earlier demand for control over traffic in both directions, but Tehran is still rejecting an Omani proposal for equal regional management of the waterway, the source said. The move could become the biggest obstacle to restoring normal traffic through the strategic waterway.

The US Central Command has reported that their forces have redirected 45 commercial vessels, disabled two, and boarded two others to block maritime traffic to Iranian ports. The USS Boxer Amphibious Ready Group, with embarked Marines, leads the patrols that resumed in mid-July after an earlier April start. The US Defence Department calls it a "Wall of Steel."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that talks had made "progress", with reopening Hormuz emerging as the immediate issue, while a broader agreement aimed at preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon remains the longer-term objective.

The development marks one of the clearest signs yet that mediators may be trying to build a short-term arrangement that could bring the US and Iran back to direct negotiations.

No final agreement has been reached and there is no firm timetable for a deal, according to mediators.

Draft language for a potential agreement between the United States and Iran is being circulated among mediators as diplomatic efforts intensify to halt the conflict and reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, Qatar said Tuesday.

Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al-Ansari said negotiations were entering what he described as “very progressive stages,” with Qatar, Pakistan and Oman working to exchange proposals between Washington and Tehran, CNN reported.

Qatar has said that a ceasefire and reopening of the strait would be essential to restarting formal US-Iran negotiations.

Iran was likely behind a wave of recent cyberattacks on municipal water systems across the US, NBC News reported on Tuesday, citing two people familiar with the incidents.

“Malicious cyber actors” have attacked municipal water systems in at least seven states, according to the FBI. Officials in metropolitan Atlanta said they are investigating “unauthorized cyber activity” that may have disrupted water operations.

US President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani discussed efforts to ease tensions between Washington and Tehran during a phone call on Tuesday.

The leaders reviewed diplomatic efforts to narrow differences between the United States and Iran and improve the prospects of a lasting negotiated settlement.

Trump praised Qatar's role in facilitating dialogue between the two sides, while Sheikh Tamim stressed the importance of continued diplomacy and urged all parties to honour the commitments outlined in the US-Iran memorandum of understanding.

They also discussed broader regional and international developments and reaffirmed the importance of continued coordination between their countries.

Iran is offering Chinese and Russian vessels full exemptions or preferential terms from proposed transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz to draw Beijing and Moscow deeper into the confrontation over the waterway, i24NEWS reported on Tuesday, citing Western intelligence officials.

Other countries, particularly those aligned with the US, would be required to pay, the report said.

According to the assessment, the incentives were designed to deepen China and Russia’s economic and strategic stake in preserving Iranian control over the strait, the report added.

Intelligence officials also said Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, viewed Hormuz as an Iranian asset rather than an open international shipping lane, a more hardline approach than that of his late father, former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The report said the policy, if implemented, would further entrench Chinese and Russian interests in Iran’s control of the strait and reduce international pressure on Tehran.

DAY 155: Resolving US-Iran conflict in 'progressive stages'

Day 154: Trump says Iran talks ongoing as IRGC warns of readiness

Day 153: Trump pauses strikes as Iran demands US honour deal

Day 152: Trump announces Hamas disarmament deal

Day 151: GCC condemns renewed Iranian attacks on Kuwait, Jordan

Day 150: US, Saudi forces strike Iran-backed militias in Iraq

Day 149: Trump holds 'positive' talks with Zelenskyy, Netanyahu

Day 148: Saudi air defences foil drone attack on oil facilities

Day 147: Iran says military ready as Netanyahu heads to US

Day 146: Iran says it earned $11.5b in oil sales during the war

Day 145: US-Iran war escalates as Tehran targets US bases in Gulf