CAIRO, Aug. 5 -- Iran and Oman have made progress towards 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 on Tuesday. Under the emerging agreement, ships would enter the Persian Gulf through an Iranian-controlled route and exit through a route controlled by Oman, with service fees charged for providing security and preserving the maritime environment, two regional officials told The Associated Press. They said negotiations are still underway. They said any deal would be linked to lifting the US blockade on Iran's ports. Any agreement formalising Iran's control of the strait would mark a significant strategic victory for Tehran. For that reason, the US could seek to block the deal by refusing to lift the blockade. The Hormuz strait was an open international waterway before the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the US was in talks with Iran, saying it was Tehran's "last chance" to avoid another US military escalation....