Iran said it is working to finalise a joint statement with Oman on a plan to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Updated on: Aug 17, 2026, 19:53:34 IST

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Iran on Monday set a deadline for the United States for full implementation of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries, warning of an escalation in the Strait of Hormuz and the entire region if diplomacy fails.

This came even as US President Donald Trump threatened Oman “if it gets in the way” of Washington's blockade of Iranian ports. While Iran has reiterated that it had not resumed talks with the US, it is working to finalise a joint statement with Oman on a plan to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

The waterway, critical to trade of crude oil and natural gas, has remained a sticking point between US and Iran, posing an obstacle to a deal. While Tehran is adamant on the full implementation of the MoU for the reopening of the strait and has proposed that it would manage shipping through the waterway, the US has imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

Top developments in West Asia

📌Iran to shift its policy to ‘fully offensive’ one

While saying that it had set a timeline for the US to fully implement the MoU which had been conveyed to Washington, a senior Iranian official on Monday told Reuters that the country was shifting its policy from defensive to a “fully offensive” one.

Tehran has warned of an escalation in the Strait of Hormuz and the entire region if diplomacy fails, saying it would not wait for the US to continue its naval blockade of Iranian ports indefinitely.

📌Trump's ‘bomb’ threat to Iran

US President Trump threatened to bomb Oman if the country gets in the way of the US blockade of Iranian ships in the Strait of Hormuz, Fox News reported. In a phone interview, Trump told Fox News journalist Trey Yingst, “If Oman gets in the way, we'll bomb the sh** out of them”.

He was referring o ongoing talks between Oman and Iran on control of the strait, while Washington is also pursuing its own talks. Trump also said that Iran should "put up the white flag of surrender," according to Yingst's post on X on his interview with the president. He said he had “no time schedule” and was “not in a hurry”.

📌Houthis say they attacked Saudi vessels

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthisattacked what they described as a Saudi military ship and four escort vessels in the Red Sea with missiles, the group's spokesperson Yahya Saree said on Telegram on Monday.

The Houthis had imposed a naval blockade in July against Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea in response to what they described as a Saudi siege on Yemen, an allegation Riyadh has denied.

📌Iran says it is near finalising deal with Oman

Iran said it has reached an agreement with Oman over a plan for ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz, which runs between the countries. Tehran said both sides were now working to finalise details for a joint statement, the Associated Press reported.

Iran's foreign affairs spokesperson Esmail Baghaei told reporters in Tehran that “an understanding has been reached regarding the map of the transit route.”

📌'Iran can't have, in any shape or form, a nuclear weapon'

In a post on Truth Social on Monday, Trump said Iran “cannot have, in any way, shape, or form, a nuclear weapon.” He referred to it as Washington's “number one goal.”

Trump's remarks come days after US Vice President JD Vance said last week that the administration had two goals in the war, including ensuring the continued flow of oil and gas from Gulf countries.

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