BLOG Iran offers proposal that ships can exit the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz without risk of attack

Reports that the White House has requested a ceasefire in the war with Iran are not true, spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt said on Wednesday, but added that talks on a second round of negotiations with the Iranians are ongoing and productive, Reuters reports.

Speaking at a White House briefing, Leavitt said that any new talks would most likely be held again in Pakistan, which has emerged as the "sole broker" in efforts to end the US-Israeli war against Iran.

"These talks are productive and ongoing, and that's where we are right now. I've also seen some reports of the possibility of direct meetings. Again, those talks are ongoing, but nothing is official until you hear from us here at the White House, but we are optimistic about the possibility of reaching an agreement," Leavitt said.

Talks last weekend collapsed without reaching an agreement to end the war, which President Donald Trump launched together with Israel on February 28, prompting Iranian attacks on Iran's Gulf neighbors and reigniting the conflict between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon, Reuters reports.

The war led to Iran effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil and gas transport, to all but its own ships, sharply reducing exports from the Gulf, especially to Asia and Europe, and forcing energy importers to seek alternative sources of supply.

Iran may consider allowing ships to sail freely through the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz without risk of attack, as part of a proposal it has offered in talks with the United States, if a deal is reached to prevent a renewed conflict, a source familiar with Tehran's views said, Reuters reports.

The war led to the largest disruption to global oil and gas supplies in history, as Iran disrupted traffic through the strait, which carries about 20 percent of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas.

Hundreds of tankers and other ships, as well as 20.000 sailors, have been trapped inside the Gulf since the war with Iran began on February 28th.

The source, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the topic, said Iran might be willing to allow ships to use the other side of the narrow strait, in Omani waters, without any interference from Tehran.

The source did not say whether Iran would also agree to remove any mines it may have placed in that part of the sea, nor whether all ships - even those linked to Israel - would be allowed to pass freely.

But he added that the proposal depends on whether Washington is willing to meet Tehran's demands, a condition that is crucial to any possible breakthrough when it comes to the Strait of Hormuz.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

The US military said it successfully prevented nine vessels from leaving Iranian ports during the first 48 hours of a naval blockade against the Islamic Republic.

"Nine vessels acted on orders from US forces to turn around and return to an Iranian port or coastal area," the US Central Command (Centcom), which is responsible for US troops in the Middle East, said in a post on the X network, the Guardian reports.

"No vessels passed by US forces," Centcom stated.

However, as Gardija states, maritime traffic monitoring data indicates a possible discrepancy with the US claims.

Data from Tuesday showed that at least three ships that left Iranian ports passed through the Strait of Hormuz, although some of those vessels later returned.

Mediators claim today that they have moved further closer to reaching an extension of the ceasefire and the resumption of peace talks between the US and Iran, Middle Eastern officials say, while, on the other hand, a senior military official in the government in Tehran threatened to halt trade in the region if Washington does not lift the naval blockade.

The ceasefire expires next week, with a US blockade of Iranian ports and renewed Iranian threats threatening the agreement reached last week, but regional officials say they have made progress.

As they explained to the Associated Press, the US and Iran have an "agreement in principle" to extend the ceasefire to give more space for diplomacy.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity.

A senior US official said Washington had not formally agreed to an extension of the ceasefire and that the "combat" with Iran was continuing. He also spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.

The commander of the Joint Command of the Iranian military forces, Ali Abdollahi, warned that his country would completely block exports and imports in the Persian Gulf, the Sea of ​​Oman and the Red Sea if the US military does not lift the blockade of Iranian ports.

"Iran will act strongly to defend its national sovereignty and interests," Abdollahi said.

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US President Donald Trump said that China and the United States are cooperating and that Beijing is pleased that he is opening the Strait of Hormuz.

"China is very pleased that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing this for them - and for the whole world. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

He added:

"President Xi will give me a big, heartfelt hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working together smartly and very well! Isn't that better than conflict??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at war, if necessary — much better than anyone else!!!"

Iranian President Masoud Pezizian said his country does not seek war but dialogue, warning that any US attempt to impose its will or force Tehran to surrender is "doomed to failure."

In statements carried by the Islamic Republic's official news agency IRNA, he said:

"Iran does not seek war or instability and has always emphasized dialogue and constructive engagement with different countries. However, any attempt to impose one's will or force the country to surrender is doomed to failure, and the Iranian people will never accept such an approach."

A sanctioned Iranian supertanker has passed through the Strait of Hormuz to Iran's Imam Khomeini port, despite a US blockade, Iran's Fars news agency reported.

Fars said it was a very large crude oil tanker with a capacity of up to two million barrels, but it was not clear whether the tanker was returning with cargo or empty.

The Sky News interview is one of several that Trump has given in the last 24 hours, in which he has hinted that the war with Iran may be nearing its end, the Guardian reports.

Asked by Sky News if a deal could be reached before King Charles visits the US at the end of the month, Trump said: "It's possible. Very possible. They're pretty beat up."

In an interview with Fox News, scheduled to air later this morning, the US president said the war with Iran was "close to being over, yes, I think it's really very close to being over."

Speaking to the New York Post yesterday, Trump said a new round of peace talks "could happen in the next two days."

Trump has previously suggested that the war is nearing an end. In an address to the nation on April 1, he said the war was "very much at its end" and could be over in "two or three weeks."

A US destroyer intercepted two oil tankers trying to leave Iran, a day after US President Donald Trump's blockade took effect, and ordered them to turn back, a US official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The ships set sail from the port of Chabahar in the Gulf of Oman and were contacted by a warship via radio, the official said. It was not known whether they were given additional warnings, Reuters reports.

This reveals additional details about the beginning of Trump's blockade, which is aimed at pressuring Iran to end the de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key point through which about 20 percent of the world's oil passes.

Trump hopes the blockade will force Iran to accept US conditions to end the war that the US and Israel launched on February 28, including the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump claims that this was also a condition of the seven-day truce with Iran, which expires next week.

Experts are cautious. Noam Raydan of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy said tracking data does show one tanker made a U-turn after the blockade began, but he warned that many ships carrying Iranian oil are turning off their tracking signals.

"We just don't know yet how effective it is. We're only in day two," said Rajdan.

A US official said the two tankers were among six merchant ships that US Central Command said earlier on Tuesday had acted on orders to "turn around and return to an Iranian port in the Gulf of Oman."

The Central Command said that no ship has passed the blockade since it came into effect on Monday at 16 p.m. Central European Time.

US Vice President JD Vance said there was a great deal of mistrust between Washington and Tehran that could not be resolved overnight, but added that Iranian negotiators wanted to reach a deal and that he "feels very good about where they are right now".

President Donald Trump said talks to end the war with Iran could resume in Pakistan over the next two days, after the collapse of talks over the weekend prompted Washington to impose a blockade on Iranian ports.

The fragile two-week truce between the United States and Iran is still in place and has another week left. Vance participated in talks in Pakistan last weekend, Reuters reports.

"Of course, there is a lot of mistrust between Iran and the United States. You're not going to solve that problem overnight," Vance said during an event organized by Turning Point USA.

Iranian negotiators, he said, want to reach an agreement. "I'm very pleased with where we are now," Vance added.

The war with Iran began when the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. Iran responded with attacks on Israel and the Gulf states where US bases are located. US-Israeli strikes on Iran and Israeli attacks in Lebanon have killed thousands of people and displaced millions.

More than 20 merchant ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing US officials.

Reuters could not confirm the report.

Earlier on Tuesday, the US military's Central Command said that no ships had been able to bypass the US naval blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas, and that six merchant ships had complied with orders to turn back.