Iran said awaiting top council's okay for Hormuz accord; US official: 'We expect a deal soon'

A US official claimed Friday that progress had been made in talks between Iran and Oman aimed at fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. "We expect a deal soon," a US official said in a statement sent to querying reporters. US President Donald Trump has been asserting a deal was imminent since Saturday, when he called off a major military strike against Iranian energy sites. "Once a deal is announced to restore commercial shipping without impediments, the US will lift the blockade of Iranian ports," the US official said. "US actions will continue to be performance-based and tied to Iran's implementation of its commitments," the official added. Axios reported Friday that Iran was waiting for its Supreme National Security Council to approve a temporary agreement with the US and Oman on opening the strait, and expected that okay to come shortly. It cited a diplomat from one of the mediating countries. Earlier, MS Now (formerly MSNBC) had reported that a framework deal had been reached for Iran and Oman to jointly control the key waterway that Iran has obstructed since the beginning of its war with the US and Israel in late February. Under the deal, ships would not be charged tolls. However, US support for the agreement was not guaranteed, it said. An unnamed Iranian government official said the deal would establish a new Iran-controlled entry route and an Oman-controlled exit route from the waterway, a critical oil trade route. The same official added that the United States and the United Nations International Maritime Organization would be involved in the deal's formal announcement if approved, although the timing isn't yet known. A US official was quoted by MS Now as saying Washington will only support the deal if it includes no fees and also no "impediments — meaning no approvals or permissions." The members of the Gulf Cooperation Council have also endorsed the agreement, the report said, citing an unnamed Gulf government official. Various outlets have reported progress in the talks and details of the deal for about a week. It is said to set a 60-day period in which the US and Iran will negotiate long-term arrangements and an end to the war that began in late February — similar to the memorandum of understanding signed in June, which later collapsed. Meanwhile, Iran's state-owned news outlet Press TV reported Friday that a parliamentary committee was reviewing a preliminary bill that would introduce fees for transit of the Strait of Hormuz, while barring US, Israeli and other "hostile" vessels from passing the waterway. The report cited lawmaker Alireza Salimi, who said the bill would also place restrictions on any ships or cargo deemed to have been involved in "hostile actions" against Iran's regional allies, including Lebanon's Hezbollah terror group. "It would also prohibit the entry and exit of military or warships, as well as vessels involved in espionage, spying, or actions deemed contrary to Iran's national security," he said. The draft bill would impose fines of up to 20 percent of a ship's cargo value for violations of the proposed restrictions. The lawmaker said the legislation was still under expert review and that parliament had invited specialists to submit recommendations before the draft was finalized. On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said that a deal had not yet been reached with Iran to reopen Hormuz, but that such an agreement could be inked soon. Trump on Saturday said he'd called off a major offensive against Iranian energy sites, claiming that Mideast mediators had assured him that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was imminent. Then on Monday, he claimed that a deal could be signed on Tuesday. On Tuesday, he told reporters a deal could be signed on Wednesday or Thursday. "We're doing very well. I'm involved in the negotiation. I think we're doing fine. It could be soon," Trump said on Thursday while speaking to reporters in the Oval Office. In the meantime, the US will maintain its blockade of Iranian ports, he said. Meanwhile, Iran's chief negotiator in talks with the US, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, posted a tweet mocking Trump for repeatedly threatening large attacks and then calling them off while citing a breakthrough in negotiations. "'Massive attack coming… wait, never mind, they want to negotiate.' That's theater diplomacy on loop," Ghalibaf wrote. "Using bullying + broken promises + fake news as leverage is a failed strategy. Acknowledge the facts and fulfill your commitments. We don't need more theater." Iran said Wednesday that no talks with the US have been held in recent days, but that it was finalizing a deal with Oman regarding Hormuz that could restore a ceasefire with Washington. Officials who were briefed on the negotiations portrayed the agreement as a temporary solution to the dispute over the strait, but said it would pave the way for the US and Iran to resume negotiations on Tehran's nuclear program.