TEHRAN: Iran has announced that a temporary transit corridor agreed with Oman in the Strait of Hormuz will be seven miles wide, while stressing that the arrangement does not mean the strategic waterway has been fully reopened.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the agreed route would allow commercial vessels to pass through a designated corridor, with the entry route running through Iranian territorial waters and part of the exit route also passing through Iranian waters.

Gharibabadi described the seven-mile corridor as a temporary arrangement, with Iran and Oman expected to continue negotiations over the next 30 to 60 days to determine a longer-term framework for maritime traffic.

He emphasised that Tehran still considers the Strait of Hormuz closed and under its control. According to the Iranian official, reopening the waterway fully would require an end to the ongoing war, the lifting of the blockade and progress on the status of Yemen.

The development comes after weeks of disruption to shipping through one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Recent data showed only a small number of commercial vessels passing through the strait, well below normal traffic levels.

The temporary agreement with Oman could provide a potential route for commercial shipping while wider negotiations continue. However, uncertainty remains over when normal maritime traffic will resume and whether the arrangement can develop into a permanent solution.