When will Hormuz shipping return to pre-war levels? Possible Iran deal offers hints

Posted on by Taiwo Adebulu

2 min readNew DelhiMay 24, 2026 11:14 PM IST

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US-Iran deal explained: The United States appear close to reaching a deal with Iran in order to end the nearly three months old conflict and American President Donald Trump has said that the truce is “largely negotiated” as a memorandum of understanding on a peace deal could reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which is responsible for the passage of 20 percent of global oil supply.

A potential deal between Washington and Tehran means that the number of ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz would return to a pre-war level within 30 days, reported Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

Timeline for lifting blockades and releasing assets

The US military’s ongoing naval blockade of Iran’s ports must be completely lifted in 30 days after a deal is struck, Tasnim reported citing a memorandum of understanding, adding that after a deal is struck between the two nations, Tehran’s frozen assets must also be released under sanctions waiver.

Several US and Iranian media outlets reported that the memorandum to end the conflict details a phased framework, which deals with reopening the Hormuz and lending America’s naval blockade on Tehran.

The reports added that plans on Iran’s enriched uranium, which Trump has insisted that it gives up, would be negotiated within 30 to 60 days after the initial agreement is reached.

Regional diplomacy and navigation sovereignty

However, Iran and Oman’s officials held a meeting to discuss principles governing freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz as per international law, Al Jazeera reported quoting Oman’s news agency.

Meanwhile, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s military adviser on Sunday reportedly said that Tehran has “legal right” to manage the Strait of Hormuz in order to ensure national security.

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Remaining obstacles to a final agreement

Iran’s Tasnim news agency, citing a source, reported that differences between Washington and Tehran remained over one or two clauses and that there would be no agreement if the US continued to create obstacles.

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