ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - Iran on Saturday said an agreement has been reached with Oman on “a shipping traffic map” in the Strait of Hormuz, adding that talks have progressed positively “despite US obstruction.”

Iran and Oman - both littoral states of the Strait of Hormuz - have reportedly made progress in bilateral talks seeking to establish a joint management system for the strategic waterway that will likely spell an end to free transit.

“Despite US obstruction, these talks have been moving forward and positively over the past three weeks, and an agreement has been reached on a shipping traffic map,” Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said in an interview with Defa Press, an Iranian state-aligned outlet focusing on military affairs.

Tehran was able to successfully restrict the strait following the outbreak of a US-Israeli military campaign against Iran in February, followed by a counter-blockade by US forces. Despite reaching a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in June, the waterway remains blocked, disrupting one of the world’s most strategic energy routes.

“Another important issue is that the Iran-Oman understanding is an independent understanding between the two coastal states to ensure the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz while simultaneously preserving the sovereignty of Iran and Oman,” Baghaei added.

World leaders have repeatedly rejected Iran assuming control of the strait, which is responsible for the transport of roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil, stressing free navigation in the international waterway.

Earlier in August, US President Donald Trump stated that negotiations with Tehran are “moving along very nicely,” warning that Iran would get hit “really hard” if a deal is not reached to reopen the waterway.

On Friday, Trump said that "after we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated - pretty soon I'll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States," laughing as he added "it's true!" afterward.

"The Strait of Hormuz has been Iranian, is Iranian, and will remain Iranian," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X in response.

Baghaei said the next steps to fully restore normal traffic to the vital waterway depend on “the end of the illegal actions, interventions, threats, and naval blockade by the United States, as well as compensation for the violations committed in the last two months.”

Washington and Tehran reached a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on June 17 to end hostilities and resume negotiations for 60 days. A key Washington condition in the MoU was free navigation in the strait.

The deal fell apart only 21 days later after the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Iranian forces had attacked a Cyprus-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz.