Mediators are using a lull in fighting between the U.S. and Iran to accelerate diplomacy aimed at a short-term fix for the most contentious issue of the war—restarting shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran and Oman huddled throughout the weekend and into Monday to hammer out an arrangement for ships to safely pass through a waterway that carried 20% of the world's oil production before the war slowed traffic to a crawl.

The diplomatic push reflects growing urgency to stabilize energy markets and create momentum for broader peace negotiations. Officials familiar with the talks said the proposed arrangement would establish safe corridors and monitoring mechanisms to prevent incidents that have disrupted commercial shipping since hostilities began.

While both sides characterized discussions as constructive, significant disagreements remain over security guarantees and verification protocols. A successful agreement on Hormuz could serve as a confidence-building measure, potentially unlocking stalled negotiations on nuclear issues and regional security arrangements that have deadlocked for months.