MUSCAT, Oman, Aug. 3 (ANI): The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported an explosion near a tanker off the coast of Oman on Sunday.
According to the UKMTO, the incident occurred about 20 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman. The agency said all crew members were safe and the vessel was not damaged.
Maritime authorities have launched an investigation into the incident. The UKMTO advised all vessels transiting the area to exercise caution and immediately report any suspicious activity.
The maritime security incident comes as Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations between Tehran and Muscat over the management of the strategic Strait of Hormuz are “nearing completion.”
Updating the Cabinet on the status of the talks Sunday, Araghchi said significant progress had been made, according to Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency. He described the negotiations as being “in their final stages” but did not provide additional details.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told state television that an agreement with Oman, which shares the strategic waterway, on a revised shipping route was imminent.
“We are now going to reach an understanding on a route acceptable to both sides, neither the northern route nor the southern route, but one that respects the sovereign rights of both sides and safeguards our national interests and security,” Baqaei said. He added that any agreement with Muscat would not automatically result in the full reopening of the strategic waterway.
The dispute over transit rights through the vital shipping lane triggered the latest round of military strikes last month after Tehran restricted maritime traffic to a channel along the Iranian coastline. Maritime intelligence firm Kpler reported Friday that vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has declined sharply.
The regional developments come as President Donald Trump announced that the United States and Israel had agreed to postpone planned military strikes on Iran, saying the “parameters” of a potential agreement had been established.
Military hostilities between the two countries began on Feb. 28 following surprise joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets. Subsequent diplomatic efforts have produced periods of fragile calm.
Concerns about renewed regional escalation intensified last month after a new wave of strikes. Trump had previously threatened to target Iran “very hard,” with reports suggesting possible strikes on key energy infrastructure, placing U.S. diplomatic missions across the Middle East on heightened alert.
However, the president later signaled a shift in strategy following intensive diplomatic efforts. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump confirmed that negotiations with Iran, expected to take place through intermediaries, were scheduled to begin Monday afternoon.
“We are talking to them [the Iranians] in the form of a negotiation; it begins tomorrow afternoon, and we’ll see how it goes. I’d love to do that. It’ll save a lot of lives, a lot of unnecessary power, to be honest with you. We are ready to go whenever we want. Would I rather make a deal? I’m not looking to kill people, because a lot of people die; we don’t want that. So they asked us, Iran specifically, but the other three, they asked us,” Trump said.
The president said diplomatic engagements involving Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Iran prompted him to halt what had been planned as a “massive attack” on Friday. He also referenced a conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
Posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “We have just been asked by Iran, and other Middle Eastern Countries, to hold off any attack in that the parameters of a deal have been agreed to.”
He added, “Based on this request, I have agreed, for the future benefit of the WORLD and, likewise, the survival of a successful and prosperous Iran, to cancel the attack, subject to being able to rapidly make a DEAL.”
The exact details of the diplomatic framework referenced by Trump remain unclear. Iranian media outlets denied claims that Tehran had requested a pause in potential U.S. military action.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime corridor for global oil and natural gas shipments, remains central to the diplomatic efforts. Before the conflict began, the waterway allowed unrestricted commercial shipping. After hostilities erupted, Iran closed the passage and demanded continued oversight and transit fees, an arrangement rejected by Washington.
Trump said any final agreement must include the “Immediate, Complete and Total OPENING OF THE HORMUZ STRAIT, and an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.”
At the outset of the conflict, the U.S. administration said military action was necessary to eliminate Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Western nations contend that Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons capabilities, while Iranian officials maintain that the country’s nuclear program is intended solely for civilian purposes.
Trump also said an agreement could be reached on the management of the Strait of Hormuz and expressed confidence that a deal would also address Iran’s denuclearization. (ANI)
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