Published on 6/18/2026
After more than 3 months of military confrontations that disrupted international shipping traffic in the Arabian Gulf and raised global concerns about energy supplies, the new US-Iranian agreement places the Strait of Hormuz at the heart of the next stage, as the first test of the extent of the success of the understanding between the two parties.
Today, Thursday, US President Donald Trump announced that he had signed a memorandum of understanding with Tehran electronically at the Palace of Versailles in the French capital, Paris, paving the way for negotiations for a period of 60 days, with the aim of reaching a final agreement on several files, most notably the future of the Strait of Hormuz after the war.
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the most vital shipping lanes in the world, in response to the US-Israeli military operations it has been subjected to since February 28, announcing that it would impose transit fees on ships passing through the waterway.
According to the texts of the agreement circulated in Western media, the fifth clause of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran includes arrangements related to the Strait of Hormuz, which are expected to be implemented within a period of 60 days following the signing of the agreement. What does this clause include? What is expected to happen in the future regarding this strategic waterway?
What does the fifth clause of the memorandum include?
According to what was reported by Western and Iranian media, Article 5 of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran stipulates 4 main points:
- The Strait of Hormuz will be fully opened within 60 days
The first point in Clause Five stipulates that Iran guarantees safe and complete transit of commercial ships without fees or any additional burdens for a period of 60 days only, in both directions between the Arabian Gulf and the Sea of Oman.
- Passage of ships immediately after signing
Also, the clause stipulates that commercial ship traffic will begin directly and without any obstacles immediately after the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the two parties.
- Clearing mines and obstacles
The agreement requires Iran to remove technical and military obstacles, such as sea mines, from the waterway, provided that this movement is activated within 30 days.
- Dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman and consultation with other coastal countries
Tehran is also expected to hold a dialogue with the Sultanate of Oman to determine the management of future maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz. In this context, Al Jazeera correspondent Adnan Burini stated that the official discourse in Iran is based on the issue that the waters of the Strait of Hormuz are not international waters, but rather regional waters subject to the sovereignty of Iran and the Sultanate of Oman.
This clause also includes that Iran and the Sultanate of Oman consult and coordinate with other coastal states in the Arabian Gulf, in line with international law.
Will Iran impose restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz after 60 days?
It seems that the American-Israeli war on Iran has imposed a new reality on the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran is now exploiting its control over it as a pressure card when negotiating with Washington.
In this regard, the Iranian Tasnim Agency quoted Parliament Speaker Muhammad Baqir Qalibaf as confirming that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will never return to what it was, saying: “During the war, I published a tweet in which I affirmed that the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its previous conditions, and I still confirm that today.”
At the same time, Qalibaf stressed that this does not mean that Tehran will take measures that conflict with international law or maritime navigation regulations, stressing that Iran will continue to move within international legal frameworks.
He also explained that the countries supervising the maritime straits enjoy, under international law, rights and duties, including compensation for the services they provide to passing ships.
Qalibaf considered that the recent developments contributed to transforming what he described as Iran’s “latent capabilities” in the Strait of Hormuz into an effective and influential power card, stressing that Tehran possesses sovereign rights in the strategic waterway, and it is natural for it to receive compensation for the services it provides to navigation traffic in it.
For his part, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said that Iran will, in the coming period, put the final touches on a new system for managing the Strait of Hormuz in cooperation with Oman, and will “collect fees” for services provided to passing ships.
