For five months, the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow passage through which a significant share of the world's oil flows — has been closed by the weight of conflict between Washington and Tehran, reshaping energy markets and testing the patience of nations. Now, through the quiet diplomacy of Oman, a deal appears within reach that would restore commercial shipping and begin unwinding a naval standoff neither side can sustain indefinitely. The agreement, if finalized, would not merely reopen a waterway; it would signal that even the most entrenched confrontations carry within them the possibility