Iran will be "hit very hard" if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened very soon, Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Wednesday night.
A possible solution emerged late in the afternoon, when Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, said that Iran and Oman had agreed on "the geographical coordinates of a trade route in the Strait of Hormuz," according to the state news agency Irna.
However, the statement goes on to flag that a major obstacle remains. The agreement will only apply “if a certain third party does not obstruct the process,” he said.
The US has not yet commented on the information.
Trump: Good discussions
Iran has said it is negotiating with Oman, mainly over maritime traffic through the strait, without US interference. But reports about the talks - and who is participating in them - have been conflicting this week.
At the same time, both President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio claim that the United States is involved - and have repeatedly insisted that negotiations are moving forward.
"We are having very good discussions," Donald Trump told Fox News on Wednesday night.
At the same time, however, the US president is using harsh language and threatening Iran with new attacks that he says would hit it "very hard" if the Strait of Hormuz, which is so important for world trade, is not reopened "very soon."
Stopped attacks
According to sources told Axios on Wednesday night, the parties are aiming to reach an agreement during the day.
A 60-day agreement for safe passage through the strait is included in the proposal being discussed, according to Axios. The agreement could then be extended.
Donald Trump said this weekend that he had chosen to call off extensive attacks on Iran to enable negotiations.
During the day, the United States eased some sanctions on an Iraqi airline, Air Baghdad, which was previously reported to have links to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. However, according to sources within the US Treasury Department, the idea that this should be seen as any kind of relief against Iran is dismissed, AFP reports.
