Iran is considering allowing European nations to remove mines from the Strait of Hormuz, a potential climbdown that could form part of a deal to normalize shipping in the waterway and ease peace negotiations with the U.S.

In public, Iran has repeatedly said it won’t allow foreign countries to join demining efforts in the critical transit point for oil and liquefied natural gas. But in private meetings in recent weeks Tehran has softened that stance, according to diplomats familiar with the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive information.

Iran’s foreign ministry didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The move would give the shipping and insurance industries some much-needed third-party assurance that the strait is safe after more than five months of military conflict, and could help to boost broader diplomatic efforts to end the war. 

Both Qatar and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said August 4 that some kind of deal, likely related to the Strait of Hormuz, is imminent. The waterway has emerged as the effective starting point for any further negotiations to take place, with a dispute over its management deadlocked for months. 

Any European demining mission would be dependent on Iran providing security assurances for the naval vessels involved and any ceasefire proving sustainable, the people said, adding there’s no guarantee the plan will go ahead. It would also require the assent of Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the branch of the military that’s led attacks on shipping through the passage. 

There’s still disagreement among Iranian leaders, one of the people said. Some members of the IRGC insist the Islamic Republic, rather than other countries, should be in charge of defusing sea mines, they said.

The issue of the strait’s post-war governance would also remain a sticking point. Iran is demanding control over the waterway and the collection of fees for its use — something the U.S. is firmly opposed to.

President Donald Trump said on August 3 that Iran has a “last chance” to reach a deal, threatening to resume airstrikes if no accord is reached. An agreement likely hinges on the outcome of talks between Iran and Oman, which controls the strait’s southern coastline.  

A potential agreement to revive talks between Washington and Tehran has been drafted and circulated between the parties, mediator Qatar announced on August 4, in what could be a short-term solution to de-escalate tensions.

The Iran-Oman talks have focused on establishing a new central channel through the strait, but the route is thought to be mined, some of the people said, meaning its success would depend on subsequent work to clear the area.

The U.S. is also pressing its allies to confirm that the strait is safe for use in order to get energy supplies moving again, one of the people said. 

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has been pushing the U.K. and France to host an international conference on Hormuz shipping, but that is now not expected to take place until another ceasefire is in place and can prove it can hold, one senior official said. The Europeans pushed back on the request over concerns they could be seen to be supporting U.S. offensive action, the official said. U.S. support for the demining mission also represents a shift, as Trump had been dismissive of European support previously.

Tehran has previously pushed back on Europe-led demining initiatives. 

“Demining is conducted solely by Iran and no other country,” Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, wrote on X in June in response to French President Emmanuel Macron saying he would work on demining the strait.