# Iran and Oman explore a ship transit mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz

> A diplomatic effort to restore passage through the Strait of Hormuz now centers on a practical question: how could commercial ships move safely through a waterway that has become a flashpoint? The route is the sea exit from the Persian Gulf and...

Canonical URL: https://www.argo.net/iran-and-oman-explore-a-ship-transit-mechanism-for-the-strait-of-hormuz/
Byline: ARGO.net Editorial Team
Published: 2026-07-28T00:56:53+00:00
Categories: News, Oceans

![Five U.S. Navy ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz in formation](https://www.argo.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/reviewed_hormuz_transit_thumbnail.jpg)

A diplomatic effort to restore passage through the **Strait of Hormuz** now centers on a practical question: how could commercial ships move safely through a waterway that has become a flashpoint? The route is the sea exit from the Persian Gulf and a disruption there can quickly reach far beyond the two countries on its shores.

Regional officials told the [Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/d57e675a7be6dbdd34561909ced240d0) on July 27 that mediators were working with **Iran and Oman** on a mechanism for managing vessel transit. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, said the two countries had discussed ship traffic on the previous Friday and Saturday. He also said, "mediators may convey messages to us from the American side," while emphasizing that direct negotiations were not under way.

## A route needs clear rules before ships can sail

The reported talks have not produced a public technical plan. A workable transit arrangement would need to specify the route and entry time. It would also identify the authority ships should contact and explain how captains should report trouble. Each part of maritime traffic management becomes politically sensitive when military forces and commercial vessels operate in the same confined passage.

For crews, **safe navigation** depends on more than a line drawn on a chart. Merchant ships need reliable route information before departure and radio contact they can trust. They also need a clear process for resolving conflicting instructions. A shared **traffic plan** could address paused traffic and medical emergencies. Separate procedures could cover equipment failures or a vessel that loses its position in poor visibility.

Agreement on paper is only the first step. Operators would have to receive the same instructions through established channels, then judge whether conditions permit a voyage to continue. A mechanism that changes several times a day would create its own hazards, particularly for a loaded tanker whose speed and turning room are limited. Clear notice periods could give ships time to adjust a voyage plan before they reach the approaches to the strait.

## Geography makes the strait hard to replace

The Strait of Hormuz lies between Iran and Oman. It links the Persian Gulf with the **Gulf of Oman** and then the Arabian Sea, which is why ships carrying oil and liquefied natural gas from Gulf producers use it on journeys to markets abroad. The U.S. Energy Information Administration says the channel is deep and wide enough for the largest crude-oil tankers, but its location leaves few equally useful sea alternatives for cargoes already inside the Gulf.

Distance changes the risks on the water. A vessel approaching the strait has to keep moving while sharing space with tankers and smaller craft. Coastal patrols and naval forces add another layer of traffic. Delays can stack up when ships wait offshore for instructions. A transit mechanism could reduce uncertainty by sequencing departures and arrivals, although it would still depend on each side honoring the arrangements when tensions rise.

Geography also limits the value of an improvised detour. A ship that has loaded at a port inside the Persian Gulf must still pass through Hormuz to reach the open ocean. Overland pipelines help certain exporters, yet they connect specific fields and terminals rather than providing a general substitute for every cargo. The central challenge is therefore less about finding a different sea lane than about making passage through the existing one predictable enough for commercial voyages.

## Security problems reach beyond ship routing

Routing alone cannot remove the dangers that have built up around the waterway. In a current [maritime advisory](https://www.maritime.dot.gov/msci/2026-004-persian-gulf-strait-hormuz-and-gulf-oman-iranian-attacks-commercial-vessels), the U.S. Maritime Administration says the risk of attacks remains high from the Persian Gulf through Hormuz and into the Gulf of Oman. The agency describes direct missile attacks as one threat. Armed drones and surface vessels create further danger for commercial traffic.

The advisory also warns of interference with satellite positioning. When electronic position data become unreliable, bridge crews compare **navigation systems** with radar and visual bearings. Other available checks can provide added confirmation. Any Iran-Oman plan would therefore need a credible way to pass safety information to ships, along with rules that distinguish routine traffic directions from a diversion order issued during a security incident.

Communication has a practical safety role in that setting. A captain must be able to separate a routine weather or information message from an instruction that alters the ship's course. Delayed clarification can leave a vessel exposed in a crowded area. The Maritime Administration advises U.S.-flagged vessels to maintain contact with maritime-security authorities and to report anomalous behavior, illustrating the level of coordination that commercial shipping requires while risks remain elevated.

## International rules shape the limits of a deal

A transit arrangement would be built alongside the law of the sea. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, ships in qualifying international straits have a right of [**transit passage**](https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unclos/part3.htm) for continuous and expeditious navigation. The convention also recognizes the sovereignty of **coastal states** over their territorial waters. It permits certain navigation-safety and pollution regulations.

The provisions create a narrow path for diplomacy. Rules that improve navigation and make hazards known can serve vessels and coastal authorities alike. Measures that delay or block ordinary transit invite a much harder dispute over whether passage has been impeded. The convention says states bordering a strait should publicize known dangers to navigation and should not hamper transit passage, a principle that puts a premium on clear, published instructions.

The convention also describes cooperation by agreement on navigational and safety aids, as well as efforts to control ship pollution. That language does not supply a ready-made plan for the current conflict. It does show why a safety arrangement would need to be concrete. Ships need a published route and usable communications. Captains also need timely hazard warnings and procedures they can follow without waiting for political messages to be interpreted at sea.

## Energy flows add urgency to the negotiations

Even a temporary slowdown can affect energy markets because the strait carries so much fuel. The [EIA estimates](https://www.eia.gov/international/content/analysis/special_topics/World_Oil_Transit_Chokepoints/) that oil flows through Hormuz averaged **20.9 million barrels** a day in the first half of 2025. That equaled about one-fifth of global petroleum-liquids consumption and roughly one-quarter of seaborne oil trade, figures that describe the scale of the route before the latest crisis.

Pipelines in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates can bypass part of the passage, according to the EIA. Iran also has a route that avoids Hormuz, but their combined capacity is far below the normal flow through the strait. Restoring predictable ship movement would therefore ease a major logistical pressure. Whether the proposed mechanism can do that depends on details that have yet to be made public. The route and the authority issuing directions remain unclear. So do the safeguards available when a vessel reports danger.

Natural gas cargoes reinforce the stakes. The EIA estimates that 11.4 billion cubic feet of liquefied natural gas a day passed through Hormuz in the first half of 2025, more than one-fifth of global LNG trade. Market effects do not wait for a formal closure. A shipowner deciding whether to sail must weigh route instructions against the chance that a crew will need help if conditions change. A credible timetable would also let charterers and ports prepare for delayed arrivals instead of responding after a ship has already reached the strait. A procedure that permits regular, safe voyages would not settle the region's broader conflict, yet it could give energy buyers and ship operators a clearer basis for planning while the diplomatic talks continue.