U.S. expects Hormuz deal soon; Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkiye sign defence pact
A United States official said on Friday (August 7, 2026) that progress had been made between Iran and Oman toward an agreement that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz, potentially restoring oil exports disrupted by the conflict that began in February.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Washington expected a deal soon between the two countries, which lie on opposite sides of the strategic waterway. “There is progress between Oman and Iran on the strait, and we expect a deal soon,” the official said. “Once the deal is announced to restore commercial shipping without impediments, the United States will lift the blockade of Iranian ports.” The official added that U.S. actions would remain “performance-based and tied to Iran’s implementation of its commitments.”
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow passage connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the open sea. It is one of the world’s most important oil transit routes; before the conflict, roughly one in five barrels of oil consumed worldwide passed through it. During hostilities, Iran has charged tolls on oil tankers and fired on ships that attempted to cross without permission, according to earlier reports. The disruption has contributed to a surge in global energy prices and higher inflation.
In recent weeks, U.S. officials have repeatedly indicated a deal to reopen the strait was close, but Iranian officials have denied that talks were under way. It remains unclear whether the latest negotiations will yield a lasting arrangement.
The disruption in the strait has been accompanied by attacks on shipping by Yemen’s Houthi movement, which has targeted vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, another key oil chokepoint. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, one of the world’s largest energy producers, said on Friday that 15 of its vessels had been struck in what it described as unprovoked attacks while transiting the strait since the conflict began. One crew member was killed and 20 others were wounded, the company said.
In a separate development, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye signed a joint defence agreement in Mecca on Friday. The pact stipulates that an armed attack against any of the three countries would be considered an attack on all, and is meant to strengthen collective deterrence, according to a joint statement. Turkiye said the agreement is purely defensive and not aimed at any specific country. The pact brings together three nations with majority Sunni populations and follows months of escalating tensions with Iran, including missile fire that has reached Gulf oil producers.
Efforts to end the fighting on another front are also continuing. A Lebanese official said on Friday that Lebanon and Israel had agreed on a shortlist of countries that could provide troops to verify the disarmament of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah movement under a U.S.-brokered arrangement. The United States would choose from that list.
On the diplomatic front, there have been no direct high-level talks between Washington and Tehran since U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance met Iranian officials in Switzerland in June, shortly after the two sides reached a ceasefire agreement. That June 17 memorandum of understanding established terms for resuming oil shipping through the strait and led to a pause in hostilities. The ceasefire, however, fell apart on July 7, and fighting resumed. The U.S. military’s Central Command has not reported any strikes on Iran since July 29.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has defended diplomatic engagement with the United States, according to Iranian state media. Analysts have pointed to signs of differences between the civilian president and other centres of power in Iran over the course of negotiations, though the full extent of any disagreement is unclear.
