Iran and Oman are negotiating on Hormuz amid US sanctions threats. What the media is writing

Iran and Oman have resumed negotiations, which may result in the temporary opening of the Strait of Hormuz. The United States continues to threaten Tehran with sanctions and is communicating with its allies about this, but China refuses to end relations with the Islamic Republic. What the media write about the current situation in Iran is in the Izvestia digest.

Reuters: Iran and Oman discuss temporary corridor in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran has announced the resumption of negotiations with Oman to resolve the situation in the Strait of Hormuz amid increased economic pressure from US President Donald Trump as part of a broader conflict. Iran and Oman have been negotiating intermittently for several weeks to control the movement of ships along this strategically important waterway.

Despite the ongoing tensions, the United States is beginning to return staff to some diplomatic missions in the Middle East that have been evacuated or reduced due to tensions with Iran. This step indicates that Washington sees a lower risk of escalation of the conflict with Tehran in the near future, although some embassies will not be fully operational. In an attempt to undermine Iran's economy, the United States threatened to punish countries that continue to do business with Iran, but said it would not impose sanctions immediately.

Axios: Rubio informed allies about the US transition from strikes to sanctions

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told several of his foreign colleagues in recent days that "at the moment" the United States has no plans to launch new strikes against Iran. Instead, he said, the focus is on other means of pressure, including the initiative to impose sanctions. Rubio's message to the foreign ministers of several allied countries came at a time when the United States believes it is strangling Iran with a naval blockade, while simultaneously withdrawing more and more oil from the Strait of Hormuz.

Sources said Rubio outlined the Trump administration's current policy on Iran in phone conversations with several of his colleagues. Currently, attempts are being made to avoid military action against Iran, and economic pressure is increasing on Iran through the US naval blockade and new sanctions by the US Treasury Department.

Why the United States is changing its strategy towards Iran. Analysis

CNN: Trump will need China for his new economic war against Iran

When US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant threatened new devastating sanctions against countries that refuse to cut off business relations with Iran, he did not name the only country that could decide the success or failure of this operation: China. The world's second-largest economy has long been a crucial pillar for Tehran, purchasing the vast majority of its oil exports worth an estimated tens of billions of US dollars last year. However, it is an extremely difficult task to involve him in the White House's operation to suppress the Iranian leadership, which is stubbornly resisting after almost six months of war.

After Bessent's statement, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs promised to "take all necessary measures" to protect its "legitimate rights and interests" in the face of threats of sanctions from the United States. The threat of the finance minister was also made ahead of Chinese Leader Xi Jinping's visit to the United States next month. During it, both sides can make progress on extending the critically important trade truce, which expires later this fall.

Associated Press: So far, there are no signs that Iran's leaders will comply with US sanctions

The latest US measures are aimed at extracting concessions from the Islamic Republic after almost six months of war unleashed by Trump and Israel. The war has already dealt a serious blow to Iran's economy and is causing more and more suffering to ordinary people. But so far there are no signs that she has brought Iranian leaders to their knees or that she will rekindle the anti-government protests that rocked the country in January.

Iran has been under harsh international sanctions for decades because of its nuclear program and support for armed groups. Oil sales to China have long been a source of income for it, and it is unclear whether the United States will be able to stop these supplies. At the moment, the naval blockade exerts the most effective economic pressure. Iran expects that the consequences for the global economy due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz will force Trump to retreat.

The Guardian: Iran faces the Strait of Hormuz paradox as its value declines

Is the Strait of Hormuz, recently described by the office of Iran's Supreme leader as a "pillar of the new security system" and as important as the possession of nuclear weapons, rapidly losing its value, making Tehran increasingly vulnerable to a new planned wave of US economic sanctions? This is a key issue that is heating up inside Iran. Those who warn that the importance of the strait as a guarantor of the global economy will decrease over time, leaving the country without foreign exchange reserves, argue that Iranian negotiators should strive to conclude a deal as soon as possible.

The fact that 20% of oil and petroleum products passed through the strait before the war is a catalyst for the restructuring of the global energy infrastructure. The Gulf states are rapidly building a network of alternative pipelines to protect more than half of their pre-war exports from the effects of blocking the Strait of Hormuz by the end of this decade. Saudi Arabia's dependence on the strait will decrease from 70% to 15%, the UAE's dependence will fall from 50% to 15%, and Iraq's dependence from 100% to 30%.