Strait of Hormuz could soon reopen as deal between Iran and Oman looms, US official claims

THE Strait of Hormuz could soon reopen as a deal between Iran and Oman looms, a US official has claimed. They said progress was made in talks between the nations, which sit on either side of the Strait. A deal between Iran and Oman over control of the strategic waterway is seen as crucial to a wider peace agreement in the US’s five-month war with Iran. The official, who did not want to be named, said: “There is progress between Oman and Iran, and we expect a deal soon. “Once it is announced to restore commercial shipping without impediments, the United States will lift the blockade of Iranian ports.” Before President Donald Trump and Israel launched the war on Iran, about one in five barrels of oil consumed worldwide went through the Strait. READ MORE ON IRAN But Iran has fired on ships that try to cross without permission. Meanwhile, Lebanon and Israel have agreed on a shortlist of countries to verify the disarmament of terror group Hezbollah. It is part of a US- brokered deal to end the war in Lebanon.