Tehran has been involved in ongoing talks with Oman over creating a safe passage for commercial ships through the Strait, which usually carries about a quarter of the world's oil trade by sea.
US President Donald Trump has threatened to launch attacks against Oman if the latter "obstructs" talks between Washington and Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz.
"If Oman stops us, we will bomb it all the way," Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Monday, as the June US-Iran memorandum of understanding expired.
Tehran has been involved in ongoing talks with Oman over establishing a safe passage for commercial ships through the Strait, a strategic oil and gas transit point that connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
Earlier this month, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations with Oman were in the "final stages," but stressed that any agreement between the two nations would not mean the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, as this depended on additional "conditions," according to Iranian state media.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that talks between the two sides are continuing as they work towards a mutual agreement, the Iranian Fars news agency reported.
He reportedly added that an "understanding" had been reached between Iran and Oman on the "navigation route map" in the Strait - which usually carries around a quarter of the world's oil trade by sea.
“The insecurity in the Strait of Hormuz was imposed on us, the region and the entire world,” Baghaei said at a press conference. “This is a very complex issue, and for the first time, a mechanism will be established that protects the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the two coastal states (Iran and Oman) and ensures the safe passage of commercial ships through this waterway.”
Despite the talks, Trump has repeatedly insisted that the US has control of the Strait, which was effectively closed by Tehran after the outbreak of war with Iran in late February.
"The US has complete control over the Strait of Hormuz. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HOLD IT," the president wrote in a post on Truth Social last week.
Trump also provoked a strong reaction from Tehran after he apparently jokingly said on Friday that he would soon declare the Strait "a territory of the United States."
Responding to comments in a post on X, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, said that "the Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian."
"This strait will be closed and opened only under Iranian command, and as long as you do not accept the reality of defeat and end your imaginary illusions, Iran will continue to enforce the blockade," he added.
The memorandum of understanding signed by the US and Iran in June called for Iran to reopen the waterway and reaffirm that it “would not acquire or develop nuclear weapons,” while the US said it would lift a naval blockade of Iran and lift sanctions on the country. The agreement, which has now expired, gave the two countries 60 days to work out a final agreement.
