BEIRUT—The U.S. signed an agreement with Oman that gives its navy access to two Arabian Sea ports, allowing American warships and aircraft carriers greater control over a strategic international waterway threatened by nearby Iran. The Omani ports of Duqm and Salalah are located just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow outlet through which about a fifth of the world’s oil trade exits the Persian Gulf. Tehran has often said it would block the channel in retaliation for U.S. sanctions that are hurting its economy.

Source: Wall Street Journal March 24, 2019 17:26 UTC