Iran’s shady deals with Oman

The new development is Oman; otherwise, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States have once again found themselves discussing an agreement to resume talks. A framework is needed to sit down at the negotiating table, and the backdrop is, once again, the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran intends to make the agreement – in which it has involved Oman – the document that secures Hormuz for it: incoming shipping lanes would pass through Iranian waters, outgoing ones through Omani waters; no tolls would be imposed for sixty days; and the central corridor of the Strait is to be cleared of mines within thirty days.

The United States should lift the blockade of Hormuz, which poses a greater problem for the regime in Tehran than bombs do. The new agreement continues to highlight all the cracks and future waves of the conflict. The Iranians must also keep an eye on their allies, particularly in Lebanon, where the government in Beirut is determined to disarm Hezbollah; for the Iranians, the end of Hezbollah would be a loss that not even the permanent seizure of Hormuz could compensate for. Yesterday, the Israelis and the Lebanese met in Rome, where talks are set to resume today, whilst clashes have resumed in Lebanon.

There are still many issues to be resolved before an agreement can be reached, and Italy’s military role has been raised; the country does not intend to commit itself until a lasting agreement is in place.