The office of Iran's supreme leader has described the Strait of Hormuz as central to a new security order, while economic analyst Hamid Paktinat projects that Gulf pipelines will reduce its strategic value by half within three years. Recent diplomatic visits by Oman's foreign minister and Pakistan's army chief, along with a June U.S.-Iran memorandum, coincide with Iranian calls to end conflicts. A reported temporary reopening agreement between Iran and Oman remains disputed between sources.