Oman foreign minister to visit Tehran for talks on Strait of Hormuz

Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi is set to travel to Tehran on Tuesday to engage in further discussions with Iranian officials regarding the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei. The purpose of the visit is to address "the security of the Strait of Hormuz and its shipping lanes," emphasizing the importance of strengthening bilateral cooperation between Iran and Oman, both as neighboring states of the strategic waterway and in maintaining regional peace and stability.

The visit comes amid ongoing tensions between the United States and Iran over the fate of the ongoing conflict, with the US president threatening military action against Oman if it hinders efforts to resolve the crisis and reopen the vital waterway. The US and Iran have yet to reach a consensus on how to end the months-long war, while Oman has been pursuing separate discussions with Iran to define the future administration and maritime services in the strategic passage.

A 14-point memorandum of understanding signed in Islamabad on June 17 aimed to serve as an interim framework for ending the war and facilitating negotiations on a longer-term nuclear agreement; however, the agreement lapsed on August 17 as its provisions were breached by both sides. The main point of contention centered on how each side interpreted the clause pertaining to the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran interpreting the language as recognizing its authority to manage the entire waterway, while the US viewed it as obligating Iran to guarantee freedom of navigation and refrain from leveraging control over the vital passage.

Oman shares the strait with Iran. Last week, Iran claimed that Oman and Iran had reached an "understanding" regarding the waterway, and were working towards finalizing a joint statement. Albusaidi's visit follows diplomatic engagements by Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who arrived in Tehran on Monday as part of the country's efforts to promote regional peace and stability.