Iran and Oman in Talks to Set Up Safe Passage Through the Strait of Hormuz
TEHRAN: Senior officials from Iran and Oman gathered in Tehran this week, trying to piece together a temporary plan to get commercial ships moving safely through the Strait of Hormuz again.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi met with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, to pitch a dual-lane shipping system. Under the draft proposal, incoming ships would move through Iranian waters while outbound traffic uses Omani routes. Both sides also discussed working together to clear underwater mines that have paralyzed the choke point for weeks.
Despite the progress, Iranian officials warned that a deal with Oman doesn't mean the waterway will instantly reopen to everyone. Tehran is insisting that any full return to normal depends on where the U.S. stands regarding regional sanctions and naval blockades.
For now, negotiators are focusing on a few immediate priorities:
Setting up the two-way transit lane across Iranian and Omani waters
Launching joint teams to sweep key shipping channels for mines
Bringing other Gulf states into broader security talks
Energy traders caught a brief breather as news of the Tehran meetings broke, but shipping lines aren't celebrating just yet. With naval mines still floating in coastal waters, most firms are keeping their tankers on standby until concrete security steps are locked in.
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