Iran and Oman are close to finalising an agreement to restore commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, although differences remain over the proposed arrangement and its implications, according to a report by The New York Times.

Citing Iranian and US officials, the report said negotiations between Tehran and Muscat have advanced on a proposal under which vessels entering the Gulf would transit through a shipping channel near Iran’s coast and under Iranian control, while outbound traffic would use a separate channel near Oman.

Iranian officials told the newspaper that the proposed arrangement would not impose tolls on vessels.

However, ships would be required to pay a “service fee” to cover environmental protection, maritime security for cargo vessels and oil tankers, and operational staffing costs.

The officials said the revenue generated would be shared equally between Iran and Oman.

A US official, however, disputed Tehran’s account, describing it as “not accurate.”

The official said any temporary shipping routes established through the Strait of Hormuz would neither require Iranian approval nor involve tolls or other charges imposed by Tehran.

According to the report, some senior Pentagon officials have expressed reservations about the proposed arrangement, arguing that it could effectively grant Iran greater influence over one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors.

The report also said some Iranian officials remain uncertain whether such an agreement would guarantee the uninterrupted flow of shipping or prevent further military action by the United States.

Despite the reported progress, Iran has maintained that it will not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz until the United States lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports.

The proposed agreement comes after months of heightened tensions in the Gulf, where the Strait of Hormuz — a critical route for global oil and liquefied natural gas exports — has remained at the centre of the standoff between Iran and the United States.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has previously warned against any arrangement that would allow Iran to exercise greater control over international shipping through the waterway, saying such a precedent could threaten freedom of navigation in other regions of the world.