US-mediated talks lead Iran to agree in principle to reopen Strait of Hormuz

Iran agreed in principle to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under U.S.-mediated talks, according to reports on May 25 citing American and regional officials. The emerging framework would address one of the most disruptive parts of the war that began on February 28, when U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran were followed by Iranian action that effectively choked shipping through the waterway. (washingtonpost.com) President Donald Trump said on May 23 that an agreement had been “largely negotiated,” while Iranian-linked reporting said major details still had to be settled. (eia.gov) The result is not a final accord yet, but a negotiated path toward restoring traffic through the Gulf’s main export route. (cnbc.com) ### Why does this waterway keep driving the diplomacy? The Strait of Hormuz carried about 20 million barrels per day in 2024, equal to roughly 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In the first half of 2025, flows averaged 20.9 million barrels per day, or about one-quarter of global maritime oil trade. Oman and Iran border the strait, and the route links Gulf producers to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Bahrain depend heavily on it for crude, fuel and liquefied natural gas exports. (washingtonpost.com) ### What did the U.S. side say was on the table? Trump said on May 23 that “an Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization” between the United States, Iran and other countries in the region. CNBC reported that Trump said the first phase would be a memorandum of understanding and that broader talks could follow within 30 to 60 days, citing Iran’s foreign ministry. (eia.gov) Al Jazeera, citing Reuters and other reporting, said the draft framework would move in stages: formally ending the war, resolving the Strait of Hormuz crisis, and opening a 30-day negotiation window for a broader peace arrangement that could be extended. (aljazeera.com) The same report said Trump had spoken with leaders in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. ### What is Iran still resisting? Fars news agency reported that the strait would remain under Iran’s management under the latest exchanged text, according to CNBC’s account of the Iranian position. (cnbc.com) That report said Trump’s description of reopening as part of a “largely negotiated” deal was “incomplete and inconsistent with reality.” Iran has also sought to defer the hardest nuclear issues until after a formal cessation of hostilities. Al Jazeera reported that Tehran still objected to unresolved questions involving the strait, its nuclear program and regional conflicts involving allied groups. (aljazeera.com) ### What would reopening actually change for shipping? The International Maritime Organization said in March that civilian shipping needed an internationally coordinated safe-passage framework in and around the Strait of Hormuz. The agency said attacks on merchant vessels since February 28 had killed seafarers and left around 20,000 civilian mariners aboard vessels in the Gulf region. (cnbc.com) Iran had previously issued routing terms and safe-passage conditions during earlier ceasefire periods, including corridors coordinated with its armed forces, according to Al Jazeera’s April reporting. (aljazeera.com) Any reopening under a U.S.-Iran understanding would therefore involve not just a political announcement but operating rules for ship movement, insurance, naval deconfliction and export scheduling from Gulf ports. That last point is an inference from the shipping restrictions and IMO calls for coordination, not a quoted term from the draft. (imo.org) ### Where do the talks go next? May 25 reporting said the agreement was still only in principle, with final language and sequencing unresolved. Trump said details would be announced shortly, while prior reporting pointed to a memorandum of understanding first and broader talks within 30 to 60 days. Pakistan was identified in earlier reporting as a mediator in ceasefire diplomacy and as a channel for proposals between Tehran and Washington. The next concrete milestone to watch is whether U.S. and Iranian officials publish the memorandum text or name the venue and participants for the follow-on negotiations. (aljazeera.com) (cnbc.com)