Iran has sent Oman its final offer for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and it reads like this: one shipping corridor entirely under Iranian supervision, plus part of the second corridor also under Tehran. Nothing less.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi announced this on Iranian state television. Oman had previously proposed a temporary regime replacing the current northern and southern routes with a fifty-fifty split: half Iran, half Oman. Tehran rejected the proposal.

„This is our final position”

„One shipping corridor through the strait must be entirely under Iranian supervision, and part of the second corridor under us as well. This is our final position,” Gharibabadi said, adding that Iran will not accept any other formula. If Oman does not accept the offer, Hormuz stays closed. He also stressed that Tehran is prepared for the conflict to flare up again.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important maritime gates on the planet. A significant share of the world's oil trade passes through it, which means any closure or restriction of navigation translates immediately into supply disruptions and higher prices. A closed chokepoint does not issue a press release; the effect is felt at the pumps.

Negotiations with a US fleet in the background

Talks between Iran and Oman are running while mediators try to calm the American-Iranian crisis and open wider negotiations. According to published reports, Oman wants to secure safe passage for commercial vessels through Hormuz so the negotiating table can be restored on the basis of the June framework agreed between Washington and Tehran.

The United States insists on unrestricted passage. Iran wants control over the terms of transit. Behind all of it stands the American naval blockade of Iran and the suspension of air strikes introduced by Donald Trump, which left diplomatic space - and also a warning that the strikes can return if the talks collapse. Oman is briefing Washington on the discussions, but formally the US is not sitting at that table.

This is not distant news. When Hormuz closes, the price of oil does not ask who lives where, and the Balkans learned that in 2022 without a single Balkan signature on any document. The question is how long one side can keep shut a door through which the world's oil passes, and how long the other will pretend that is not a reason for war.