Iran has done a great job—America is caught off guard! Now Iran and Oman have already set a precedent! On August 6, according to AFP reporting, Iran announced it had reached an agreement with Oman on a new route passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ismail Baghai stated: "The geographical coordinates for the proposed route have been approved by both sides." Clearly, at a time when U.S.-Iran negotiations show no sign of progress, Iran and Oman bypassed America to conduct talks—something undoubtedly unexpected by the United States.
The consensus reached between Iran and Oman will certainly leave the U.S. feeling frustrated. What exactly did Iran and Oman agree upon? The agreement redefines the navigation routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Previously, traditional routing rules were applied, with vessels entering and exiting sharing the same designated lanes. Under the new arrangement, ships entering the Gulf now sail closer to Iran’s side, while those exiting the Gulf travel near Oman’s side—effectively redividing the navigational space.
After this redivision, numerous shipping lanes are now much closer to Iran’s territorial waters. This allows Iran’s coastal radar systems and maritime patrol forces to more conveniently identify, track, and monitor oil tankers and merchant vessels entering the Persian Gulf—undoubtedly strengthening Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. In fact, such a new arrangement would likely be acceptable to other Gulf states; as long as navigation remains possible, even if the new system favors Iran’s oversight, that is still a positive outcome compared to complete closure.
But for the United States, this is another story entirely. The U.S. originally hoped to lead the negotiations and compel Iran to unconditionally open the Strait of Hormuz, restoring the previous era of unrestricted passage. Now, however, Iran has negotiated first with neighboring countries, who are inclined to accept the new framework. What can the U.S. do now? Either accept the current reality and tacitly allow Iran to exert stronger control over the Strait of Hormuz, making concessions of its own to secure passage; or reject the new status quo and continue to maintain deadlock. With an agreement already in place with Oman, it's not unthinkable that other nations will follow suit—and the result will inevitably leave the U.S. proposal completely sidelined.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1872729232251904/
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