TEHRAN, August 17. /TASS/. The negotiation process between Iran and Oman to reach an agreement on security in the Strait of Hormuz has been held up by the United States and Israel and their attempts to interfere in the process, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on Monday.

"The development of a roadmap for maritime navigation with Oman has been delayed due to security obstacles caused by the actions of the United States and the Zionist regime, the large number of involved parties and acts of sabotage on behalf of destructive forces," Baghaei said at a news conference.

According to the Iranian diplomat, Tehran and Muscat are working to establish a mechanism that will ensure "respect for the rights of the two coastal states and guarantee the safe passage of merchant vessels."

On August 5, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said Iran and Oman had agreed on coordinates for a new route through the Strait of Hormuz. He said the future deal would not reopen the strait immediately, as that would depend on US actions.

Last week, The Wall Street Journal reported that the number of vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz every day in July was five times less than what it was at the start of the conflict. US President Donald Trump announced last week that the United States military would retain control of the Strait of Hormuz.

The US and Israel launched a war against Iran on February 28. In June, Washington and Tehran, with Islamabad acting as mediator, signed a memorandum of understanding providing for an immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon.

However, in the early morning hours of July 8, the US resumed large-scale strikes against Iran, accusing it of violating the terms of the agreements reached on the Strait of Hormuz. On August 2, Trump announced that the US and Iran would begin negotiations on a peace deal.

In addition, the US leader wrote on his Truth Social page that he had agreed to call off a planned massive strike against Iran in order to reach a deal with Tehran. According to him, Tehran and Arab countries asked Washington to refrain from an attack, as the sides had agreed on the outlines of a future agreement.