Doha: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that progress has been made in the ongoing talks between Iran and the Sultanate of Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio denied that any final outcome had been reached yet, but expressed hope that this would happen in the near future. He explained that ships continue to transit through the Strait, but noted that the United States wants to see more commercial maritime traffic through the waterway.

According to Qatar News Agency, US President Donald Trump had suspended on Saturday what he described as a major attack on Iran at the request of regional countries, pointing out that talks with Iran were underway and warning that they represented a final opportunity for Tehran to reach a deal. For its part, Iran says its only talks regarding the Strait are with Oman, and that there are no major meetings scheduled this week.

Earlier, Iran declared the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz in response to the US blockade and repeated strikes. It warned vessels against transiting beyond the course identified near its coasts, with the US stressing the importance of restoring full freedom of traffic through the Strait.