The top diplomats of Iran and Oman met today to discuss a phased approach to managing ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains largely shut down nearly six months after the Iran war began.
The talks came after an oil tanker was disabled in an attack off the coast of Oman, underscoring the ongoing dangers for shipping companies attempting to use the waterway while it's under Iranian control.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaid met with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Tehran to discuss a framework for managing ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
A joint statement by the two countries, located on opposite sides of the narrow strait, said the proposed framework includes a “joint temporary navigational corridor” and both countries working to clear mines from the waterway.
The statement said Iran and Oman will continue technical negotiations toward establishing a permanent shipping corridor and an agreement on the future administration of the strait.
About a fifth of the world’s traded oil passed through the strait before the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
It’s unknown whether the US will accept the emerging deal. US President Donald Trump last week threatened to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of American efforts to reopen the strait.
Iran’s president and other senior officials also discussed the strait with a delegation from Pakistan that left Tehran on Tuesday following talks on reviving negotiations to end the Iran-US conflict, the Pakistani military said.
Tanker hit and disabled off Oman's eastern coast
A strike on an oil tanker Monday night (local time) off Oman's coast disabled the ship's engine, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Organisation reported. It said all crew were reported safe.
There were no immediate reports of any environmental impact.
Iran periodically fires at vessels attempting to transit the strait to enforce its control of the waterway, though there was no immediate claim for Monday's attack. The US has also fired on vessels while imposing a blockade of Iranian ports.
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