Anadolu staff
04 August 2026•Update: 04 August 2026
Mediators are preparing a document for reopening the Strait of Hormuz as Pakistani and Qatari mediators have intensified contacts with the US and Iran, in addition to "regional partners," Pakistani government sources told Anadolu on Tuesday.
The sources added that indirect contacts between the US and Iran through Pakistani and Qatari mediators are in the "final stage" to finalize the document.
"A major development concerning reopening of the Strait of Hormuz under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding is expected this week as Pakistan and Qatar have intensified diplomatic contacts with Washington, Tehran and several other regional partners," said a source familiar with the developments.
Oman, which has been in talks with Iran about future management of the Strait of Hormuz, is also "actively" involved in the latest diplomatic efforts to end hostilities and reopen the strait, said sources.
The single-page document, according to sources, contains matters only related to the Strait of Hormuz, which would subsequently lead to the resumption of long-stalled direct talks between the US and Iran.
Iran will reopen the strait, and in return, the US will lift its blockade of the Iranian ports, according to the document, said the sources.
There is no mention of Tehran's nuclear program in the document, they said.
Following implementation of the document, mediators will finalize the date and venue for the resumption of direct talks in consultation with Washington and Tehran, the sources added.
Contentious issues
The sources said that the two warring sides are still at loggerheads on several issues, mainly tolls.
"The US side is insisting that the Strait of Hormuz should be completely toll-free for commercial shipping as it was before the start of the war. While, Tehran wants a 'service fee' to cover environmental, and security costs," they said.
The mediators, it added, are trying to find a solution which might offer a "middle way" to resolve the issue.
Also, a source said Tehran is opposing the idea of different shipping corridors in the strait.
The New York Times reported earlier that Iran and Oman are close to reaching an agreement to restore commercial maritime traffic through the strait.
Under the potential deal, the report said, vessels entering the Gulf would travel through a shipping channel controlled by Iran and close to its coast, while outbound traffic would use a channel near Oman.
Iranian officials told the Times that no tolls would be charged but said the agreement includes a "service fee" to cover environmental effects, security for cargo ships and tankers, and staffing costs. They added that the revenue would be shared equally between Iran and Oman.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that Washington and Tehran have yet to finalize talks on passage through crucial international waterways, but he hopes an agreement will come “very shortly.”
Following reports and senior US officials’ remarks that both sides are close to reaching a deal to reopen the strait, Rubio told reporters that “there's been progress made in those talks, but not finality yet.”
“We're hoping that will happen very shortly,” he said.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Tuesday that the US and Iran could reach a deal by Tuesday or Wednesday to reopen the strait and restore freedom of movement for commercial ships.
Washington and Tehran signed the memorandum on June 17, agreeing to advance negotiations toward a permanent settlement on several contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, within 60 days.
Hostilities that began last month, however, have cast uncertainty over the future of the agreement.
