Oman talks wind down with no breakthrough
As talks in Oman wind down, the key delegations are departing without any signs of an immediate breakthrough -- but there’s still a chance that could change in the coming hours, according to a U.S. official and another source familiar.
Public statements from Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart indicate only that navigation through the Strait of Hormuz was discussed during the meeting -- obviously falling well short of the Trump administration’s demand for a public statement from Iran declaring the Strait of Hormuz is fully open and vessels transiting through it are safe from attacks.
However, the sources said Araghchi is returning to Iran with an Omani proposal for managing the Strait of Hormuz that would see the southern lane of the waterway operate unimpeded, but require ships traveling in the northern lane, which runs through Iran’s territorial waters, to receive approval from -- but not pay a toll to -- Tehran.

Other proposals for dividing the waterway were also considered, the sources added.
At this point, it’s unclear if the Omani plan has the full support of the Trump administration or if it can win approval from Iranian leadership. But it was always expected that the Iranian delegation in Oman would need to return to their country to consult top levels of leadership before moving forward or even issuing a more substantial statement, leaving the door open for now.
-ABC News' Shannon K. Kingston




