A man sits on a surfboard as a container ship and other commercial vessels appear anchored in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on July 27. Iran and the Gulf Arab state of Oman made progress toward a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a potential breakthrough that could help wind down the war in the Middle East, regional officials said Tuesday. AdvertisementAny agreement formalizing Iran’s control of the strait would mark a significant strategic victory for Tehran. The strait was an open international waterway before the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. The potential agreement between Iran and Oman was first reported by the New York Times.