The Iranian Foreign Ministry said a Strait of Hormuz arrangement with Oman is near, though the new route may be usable for only 2 to 4 months.
Middle East tensions remained high after the Houthi armed group again claimed it had attacked Saudi oil tankers, taking the total number of Saudi oil tankers forced to retreat in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea to 29, Jinshi reported. Trump said a U.S.-Iran agreement would be revealed within 48 hours with a 50% likelihood. Separately, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said it was close to reaching an agreement with Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil transit chokepoint, although the new route is expected to be usable for only 2 to 4 months. The combination of shipping disruption claims, fragile diplomacy and a time-limited routing option underscores ongoing uncertainty around regional energy transit.