Bessent: Chance for Iran deal on Hormuz today or tomorrow
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has announced a possible agreement with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz today or tomorrow. “We are in talks with the Iranians and I think there is a chance that we can reach an agreement today or tomorrow to open the strait,” he said in an interview on US broadcaster CNBC.
When asked about a possible toll collection by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, which is central to international gas and oil trade, Bessent made it clear that he assumed that free passage would be possible.
Qatar: Mediation efforts in the Iran war continue
According to Qatar, mediation efforts to resolve the conflict between the USA and Iran continue. There is currently no agreement, said Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid al-Ansari in the capital Doha. But he spoke of ongoing diplomatic efforts that are “already well advanced.” The mediators worked to bring together the different points of view. “Drafts are constantly being exchanged,” said al-Ansari.
No agreement has yet been reached with a view to reopening the Strait of Hormuz. “That could change in the next few hours or days,” said the Foreign Office spokesman. The focus now is on preventing escalation and achieving the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, he said. Qatar mediates, among other things, alongside Pakistan in the conflict between Iran and the USA.
Straits in the Middle East remain under pressure
Due to tensions in the Middle East, shipping traffic in the region’s straits remains under pressure. Only nine ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to information from data provider Kpler. Last week, an average of around 16 ships passed through the strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman every day. A deal between the U.S. and Iran could quickly revive shipping, although sustained improvement could take time, said Dimitris Ampatzidis, a risk analyst at Kpler.
Threats and attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Iran-allied Houthi militia in Yemen have also affected shipping through the Bab al-Mandab sea route at the exit of the Red Sea. Kpler was only able to confirm 25 passages on Monday. The number of passages there has decreased in the past few days: Kpler reported 42 passages on Friday. Before the latest hostilities began in February, there was an average of 40 to 50 ships per day.
