ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iran on Wednesday cited US "interference" and President Donald Trump's military threats as responsible for the delay in reaching a reported agreement with Oman to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, after Trump warned Tehran it would be "hit very hard" unless the vital waterway was reopened soon.
"The main reason for the delay in the agreement with Oman concerning the Strait of Hormuz is US interference and threats from Trump," an Iranian official told state-affiliated Sepah news. "As long as US interference and threats of a military attack against Iran persist, the agreement will be delayed."
"Iran will not sign any agreement under the shadow of threats," the official added, claiming Washington’s actions had stalled negotiations.
The comments came a day after Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen "very soon" or Iran would face military consequences.
"The strait is going to be open very soon, or they're going to get hit very hard... and then the strait's going to be open," Trump told Fox News during a visit to California on Tuesday.
Trump insisted negotiations were progressing despite Tehran's repeated public denials.
"We're having very good discussions," he said, adding that "the only thing that matters is action. And they want to make a deal. We'll see what happens."
Later, Trump said he believed an agreement could happen "tomorrow or the next day."
Axios reported early Wednesday one US official and two regional sources having said that Washington, Tehran, and Oman were “closing in on an interim agreement,” with the US “aiming for a Wednesday announcement.” Under the reported proposal, inbound shipping would use a northern lane of passage while outbound vessels would transit through Omani territorial waters, with no tolls imposed.
Late Tuesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that "The southern route through the Strait of Hormuz remains free and open for all commercial vessels seeking to transit the international waterway."
"Over the past three months, U.S. forces have assisted more than 1,000 vessels in successfully transiting the strait despite unwarranted Iranian aggression, and these transits continue today," it added.
The statement comes amid heightened maritime security concerns following Washington's reinstatement of its blockade on Iranian ports in mid-July, after indirect exchanges between the US and Iran failed to produce an agreement.
Washington and Tehran have remained at war since February 28, when the US and Israel launched a large-scale military campaign against Iran. Although intermittent diplomatic efforts have briefly reduced tensions, fighting has continued for more than five months, with Iran continuing to launch missiles and drones at US and allied targets across the region.
A ceasefire agreement reached in mid-June collapsed before taking effect. The deal had been expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway through which roughly 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports pass.
Maritime security in the area remains fragile. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), which monitors attacks and security incidents involving commercial shipping, has issued 106 maritime security reports so far in 2026. On Tuesday, it reported that a cargo vessel was struck by an "unknown projectile" off the coast of Oman while transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
