Rubio says progress made in Strait of Hormuz talks

• Report says deal could be announced soon.
• Oman, Qatar, and Pakistan mediate discussions.
• Goal is restoring commercial shipping.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Tuesday that discussions with Iran and Oman aimed at increasing maritime vessel transit through the Strait of Hormuz have made notable progress, although a final agreement has yet to be finalized.

Speaking to reporters at the State Department, Rubio outlined the status of the ongoing diplomatic effort:

"There's been progress made in those talks, but not finality yet. We're hoping that will happen very shortly."

Announcement within hours, days: Claims Al-Arabiya

Following Rubio's remarks, a source allegedly told Saudi state-owned news outlet Al-Arabiya that an agreement concerning the Strait of Hormuz is nearing completion.

According to the source, a formal announcement regarding the deal could be issued within the coming hours or days.

Mediators coordinate to enable direct US-Iran dialogue

In parallel with the trilateral discussions between the US, Iran, and Oman, Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that Qatar and Pakistan are actively coordinating with Oman to facilitate communication between Washington and Tehran.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, Dr. Majid bin Mohammed Al-Ansari, Advisor to Qatar’s Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, outlined the objective of the regional joint initiative.

Ansari stated that the regional effort aims to de-escalate tensions sufficiently to allow direct US-Iran dialogue to continue, adding that the mediating nations hope their joint diplomacy will “yield positive results in the near future.”

Regarding maritime logistics in the strategic waterway, Ansari emphasized that Qatar's goal is, at a minimum, to restore commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to the baseline levels observed prior to the outbreak of war in February.