Iran may allow ships to safely pass through the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz, under proposals presented to the United States, provided a deal is reached to end the conflict, Reuters reported, citing an Iranian source.
The source said Iran is ready to allow ships to use the other side of the strait in Omani waters without any obstacles from Tehran.
The proposal marks the first visible step by Tehran to abandon more belligerent actions expressed in recent weeks, which have included charging ships for passage through the international waterway and imposing sovereignty over strait.
Both options are seen by the global shipping industry as violating maritime conventions. The US-Israeli war with Iran has led to the largest disruption to global oil and gas supplies due to Iran's disruption of traffic through the strait.
Hundreds of tankers and other ships, along with 20,000 sailors, have been blocked in the Persian Gulf since the war began on February 28. A two-week ceasefire came into effect on April 8, and US President Donald Trump said on April 15 that the war was close to ending, but control of the Strait of Hormuz remained a key issue. The source did not specify whether Iran would agree to clear any mines it may have laid on the Omani side of the strait or whether all ships, including those linked to Israel, would be allowed through. The Iranian source did, however, specify that the proposal depends on whether Washington is prepared to meet Tehran's demands, a condition that is central to any potential breakthrough in the strait. He explained that the proposal means that Iran will retain control of the Strait of Hormuz within its sovereign territorial waters, without interference from Oman, which he said is aimed at demonstrating goodwill to end the war, with Tehran expecting similar flexibility from United States.
A Western security source said a proposal for unimpeded passage of ships through Omani waters was under development, although it was not clear whether there had been a response from the United States.
Iran's proposal would be the first step towards restoring the status quo in transit through the strait, which has been in place for decades despite periodic seizures of ships by Iran.
The so-called two-way traffic separation scheme, adopted by the UN shipping agency in 1968 with the agreement of countries in the region, created the current system of ship routing that separates the shipping lanes through Iranian and Omani waters.
The Strait of Hormuz, which is only 34 km wide between Iran and Oman, provides passage from the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean and is a major route for energy supplies from the Middle East and other vital goods, including fertilizers.
Member states of the International Maritime Organization, which met this week, rejected the idea of imposing a fee by Iran on ships using the strait, which the organization said would "set a dangerous precedent".
On April 13, the United States imposed a blockade on oil ships leaving Iranian ports.