The United States and Iran have reportedly reached an agreement to ease the American naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for its gradual reopening.
According to Al Arabiya, both sides reached an agreement on Thursday. At the beginning of the US-Iran war, Iran had blocked the Strait of Hormuz, which had led to disruption in global energy supplies.
“Agreements have been reached regarding easing the blockade in exchange for the gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The coming hours will witness the release of ships stuck in the strait," sources said, while speaking to Al Arabiya.
As per the report, in the coming hours, there will likely be a breakthrough in the status of the ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump had earlier said that he is hopeful of finalising a deal with Iran, while saying that the talks have been “very good" and that the war will “be over quickly".
He had made the remarks while announcing a temporary pause on “Project Freedom". However, at that time, he had asserted that the blockade would remain fully in place.
Trump had said that negotiations with Iranian representatives have made “great progress" and moved closer to a “complete and final agreement".
“Project Freedom" is a US military-backed initiative launched a day earlier to help stranded commercial ships safely exit the Strait of Hormuz.
The development also comes after Iran said it was reviewing a 14-point memorandum of understanding proposed by the US. The proposed framework is aimed at halting the ongoing conflict, which started on February 28.
Earlier, Reuters, citing a Pakistani source, reported that Washington and Tehran were moving closer to a possible agreement through a one-page memorandum.
According to Axios, key elements of the proposed arrangement include Iran agreeing to pause nuclear enrichment activities, while the US could ease sanctions and facilitate the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian funds.
The framework also reportedly proposes easing restrictions related to maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route.
The Strait of Hormuz continues to be a vital transit route for global oil shipments, meaning any change in military or maritime policy in the region can significantly impact energy markets worldwide. While the pause hints at a possible path toward de-escalation, the ongoing blockade indicates that underlying tensions remain unresolved.
