[Anchor]
An announcement has been made that Iran and Oman have agreed on a new route to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Attention is focused on whether this agreement will reopen the Strait of Hormuz and whether end-of-war negotiations between the U.S. and Iran can resume.
Reporter Gwak Sang-eun has the details.
[Reporter]
The core of what Iran says it has agreed upon with Oman is a plan to use a shipping lane near Iranian territorial waters when entering the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, and a lane near Omani territorial waters when exiting, for a period of 60 days.
The two sides have reportedly even established coordinates for the new route and delivered them to the U.S. and other Gulf nations.
[Kazem Gharibabadi / Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister (Iranian State TV): We have reached an in-principle agreement with Oman. There has been major progress in the negotiations, and we are on the verge of a final conclusion.]
If finalized, this agreement is raising the possibility of easing tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and opening the door for follow-up negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, including on the nuclear program.
[Donald Trump / U.S. President: I prefer negotiation. I don't want loss of life. Talks are ongoing right now, so let's see how things develop.]
However, Iran maintains that the Hormuz issue is a matter between Iran and Oman, stating that it will not tolerate outside interference.
This emphasizes control over the strait while excluding the United States.
The U.S. Wall Street Journal also reported that a draft of the agreement includes provisions granting Iran control over vessels entering the Persian Gulf, but without imposing transit fees.
On the other hand, Reuters reported that Iran is considering imposing a fee of up to 7 percent of the cargo value and Oman around 3 percent, while the U.S. opposes the imposition of fees.
In addition, whether to allow Iranian control over vessels exiting the Persian Gulf remains a key issue.
Although a large-scale attack on Iran was withheld due to dissuasion from neighboring countries like Saudi Arabia, from Trump's perspective, accepting a final agreement would not be easy if control of Hormuz is handed over to Iran and transit fees are even generated.
Another variable is whether the hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which holds actual control over the Strait of Hormuz, will accept the agreement reached by Iran's diplomatic authorities.
CNN projected the likelihood of a final agreement before this weekend to be around 50 percent.
(Video Editing: Kim Byung-jik, Design: Seo Seung-hyun)
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