Iran views the Strait of Hormuz as its primary bargaining tool in negotiations with the US, leading to intense contention over its control. Under a June 18 memorandum of understanding with Washington, substantive talks on Iran's nuclear program are contingent on lifting the strait's blockade, which Iran is only required to use "its best endeavours" to achieve.
Iran maintains a maximalist interpretation, asserting sole authority to reopen the strait and resisting external involvement. Consequently, Iran rejected an Omani-proposed southern shipping route, developed with the UN's International Maritime Organization, which aimed to open two new lanes. An Iranian attack on a Singaporean ship using this southern route on Thursday, June 26, 2026, forced the IMO to abandon the plan. Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, stated that alternative arrangements would complicate and delay reopening the strait, increasing tensions. This dispute threatens to overshadow Oman's detailed legal plan for long-term strait management, crafted to meet international law and secure Iran's eventual support.
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