Iran said negotiations with Oman over the future management of the Strait of Hormuz are in their final stages, while maintaining that any bilateral understanding is separate from decisions on reopening the strategically important waterway.
The developments came as US President Donald Trump said he had cancelled planned attacks on Iran, provided a deal could be reached rapidly.
Iranian officials also indicated that diplomatic contacts remain active, with mediators seeking to revive the June memorandum of understanding between Tehran and Washington.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said negotiations with Oman were "on the way to being finalised" after presenting a report to Iran's cabinet.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said Tehran and Muscat were nearing an understanding on a maritime route acceptable to both sides that would safeguard their respective sovereign rights and national interests.
He said the bilateral discussions were unrelated to whether the Strait of Hormuz would reopen, describing such an understanding as "a necessary condition, but not a sufficient one."
Baghaei said the strait "will never return to the pre-war situation" and argued its closure resulted from "the United States' breach of its commitments" and a US naval blockade of Iran.
President Masoud Pezeshkian said the June memorandum of understanding with the United States would become the "centre of gravity" of Iran's future foreign relations and called for efforts to ensure all parties remained committed to what had been signed.
Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesperson for Iran's parliament national security commission, said mediators were working to revive the June agreement and that further talks in Muscat remained possible.
Trump said the United States had agreed to halt planned military action against Iran while negotiations continued, adding that any agreement should include the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an end to Iran's nuclear threat.
Iranian officials, however, continued to reject any suggestion that ongoing negotiations automatically meant the waterway would reopen.
Tehran also maintained its position that discussions with Oman focus on a bilateral mechanism concerning the strait rather than its operational status.
The latest statements highlighted continued diplomatic engagement alongside persistent disagreements over the future of the Strait of Hormuz and the conditions for a broader agreement between Iran and the United States.