Iran and Oman agree route for ships in Strait of Hormuz. Esmaeil Baghaei

Iran and Oman on Wednesday finalised an agreement on what Tehran calls the geographical coordinates of a proposed shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran and Oman are preparing a joint statement on the agreement which includes technical, legal, security and environmental points.

Separately, Iranian media quoted official sources saying that the reopening of the Strait would depend on the US ending its naval blockade of the country's ports.

The key aspect of such an agreement revolves around Tehran’s insistence to charge fees for passage as it claims sovereign control of the key waterway, in direct opposition with the United States and the Gulf countries who insist that navigation must remain free as stipulated by the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“Provided that certain third parties do not obstruct the process, a joint statement by the two countries outlining the main considerations and points agreed upon is also being reviewed and finalized,” Baghaei said referring to the US as a “third party”.

Baghaei however underlined that the Iran-Oman agreement in itself cannot guarantee the safety of navigation through Hormuz as long as “the US naval blockade and other actions against Iran and its interests remain in place.”

Tehran’s announcement comes amid several days of intense speculation on the two-month long negotiations between Iran and Oman, which Tehran insists are in line with the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the United States in June.