Iran and Oman are still working on the details of a deal on the Strait of Hormuz, a senior Iranian source said, even as Tehran's Revolutionary Guards said the two countries had agreed how to share the waterway and its revenues.
"A final agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz has not been finalised," the source told Reuters, adding that talks were continuing on the details of an accord.
The Guards' spokesman, Hossein Mohebbi, said in comments carried by Iranian state media: "The Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran and the country of Oman... We have been in negotiations with Oman for about a month, and we have reached results that are acceptable to both sides. Agreements have been reached regarding the share of each country in the waters of the Strait and the share of Iran and Oman in its revenues."
It was not immediately clear at what stage of the talks the agreements had been reached. Iran said earlier this month that a deal was close.
Following talks between the two countries' foreign ministers in Tehran on Tuesday, Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said he was "hopeful we will soon announce a temporary corridor for the Strait of Hormuz and practical arrangements to restore safe navigation". The two sides discussed a framework for a temporary transit corridor and a mine-clearing project in the waterway.
Mohebbi accused the United States of seeking to obstruct the negotiations and of delaying an accord. "If the United States stops obstructing and returns to the agreement, we can open the Strait of Hormuz within the framework of the agreement reached... If the United States does not accept our conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened under any circumstances," he said.
Tehran has insisted the strait will not fully reopen until Washington meets its demands, including lifting its naval blockade, removing oil sanctions and unfreezing assets abroad. A key point of contention is Tehran's demand to charge ships for passage through Hormuz - a demand flatly rejected by Washington.
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