Iran and Oman reach preliminary deal on Hormuz shipping, excluding military vessels

Iran and Oman have reached a preliminary agreement to manage shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, excluding military vessels from the vital waterway. Iran's deputy foreign minister announced Tehran will not permit military ships to transit under the deal. The agreement follows high-level diplomatic talks between the two countries to manage commercial maritime traffic, which remains largely paralyzed nearly six months after the war with Iran began. Commercial traffic entering the Persian Gulf will pass through Iranian waters, while exit routes will be split between Iranian and Omani waters. The development comes as US President Donald Trump threatens to bomb Oman if it "gets in the way," with his administration opposing parts of the evolving agreement, including joint management of the exit route crucial for global oil and gas supplies.