Iran said an agreement with Oman on control of the Strait of Hormuz was close, but that it would not be enough to reopen the waterway, while the United Arab Emirates said Iran had hit another ship there.
The agreement between Iran and Oman on the strait is considered crucial to a broader agreement to end the war that began with US and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28 and led to Tehran establishing a blockade of one of the world's most important energy export routes.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Friday that Washington expects Iran and Oman, which are on opposite sides of the strait, to reach an agreement soon so that normal oil transport can resume, Reuters reported.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran and Oman were "very close" to an agreement on a new shipping route through the strait, but that its reopening depended on other conditions, including US compensation to Iran.
The secretary of Iran's top national security body, Mohammad Baker Zolqadr, listed other demands, including the cessation of US threats against Iran, the cessation of aggression against Iran and its Lebanese, Palestinian, Yemeni and Iraqi allies, the lifting of the blockade and sanctions on Iran, and the release of Iranian assets.
Oman says talks positive, condemns attacks on ships
Oman condemned what it said were repeated attacks on ships passing through the strait, without specifying who was responsible, and said talks with Iran on arrangements for navigation through the Strait of Hormuz were "positive and constructive", Reuters reports.
"Oman stresses the importance of avoiding any actions that could affect these negotiations and the progress made, in a manner that takes into account the interests of all parties," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
Aragchi said that the previous system of separating shipping lanes through the strait was no longer acceptable to Tehran and that Iran was discussing a temporary route with Oman until technical and legal issues regarding a permanent route were resolved.
Iranian President Masoud Peskov, who is considered a relatively moderate politician, said he believes now is the best time to reach an agreement.
"There is cohesion, strength and unity in the country and, as far as I know, Iran is considered victorious and strong in this war," Iranian news agencies quoted him as saying.
Iran responded to the US attacks by targeting US bases in the Gulf states and Jordan, as well as by attacking ships in the narrow strait through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas shipments passed before the war.
The United Arab Emirates said on Saturday that Iran had fired a missile at a tanker affiliated with its state-owned oil company as it passed through the Strait of Hormuz. There were no injuries and the incident was the latest escalation in attacks on ships in the area.
The British Maritime Traffic Monitoring Service (UKMTO) said a fire broke out on a ship after it was hit by an unknown projectile, but that the fire had been extinguished and no adverse environmental impact had been reported.
Iranian authorities did not immediately comment on the incident.
The administration of US President Donald Trump has repeatedly suggested in recent weeks that a deal to open the strait could be close, only for Iran to deny that talks were underway. It was unclear whether the latest round of talks would lead to a more permanent arrangement.
"Once an agreement is announced to restore unimpeded commercial navigation, the United States will lift the blockade of Iranian ports," a US official told Reuters on Friday, adding that any US action would depend on Iran fulfilling its commitments.
Iran's Revolutionary Guard, which attacked the ships, also said on Saturday that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz depended on Washington accepting Iranian conditions and was not linked to negotiations between Iran and Oman.
"Whenever the United States accepts Iran's conditions, the Strait of Hormuz will certainly be reopened," Guards spokesman Hossein Mohebi was quoted as saying by Iran's Tasnim news agency.
Sources said this week that the deal would give Iran some control
A proposed deal between Iran and Oman, which is expected to help end a five-month war between Iran and the United States, would give Tehran control over ships entering the Persian Gulf through the strait, a senior Iranian source and two regional officials told Reuters on Wednesday. It would be one of the biggest concessions to Iran yet.
US officials have repeatedly said they would never allow Iran to control access to the world's most important energy trade route. It was not clear whether they had sought to change the parameters of the proposed deal.
Iran has used the conflict as an excuse to charge oil tankers for passage. This, along with opening fire on ships attempting to pass through the strait without its permission, has severely disrupted global supplies, driven up energy prices and fueled inflation.
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