Omani foreign minister to visit Tehran for Hormuz talks on Tuesday

Oman's Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Albusaidi is set to travel to Tehran on Tuesday to continue discussions between Iran and Oman regarding the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei. Earlier, Baghaei mentioned that Pakistan's army chief, who has served as a mediator between the United States and Iran, will also visit Tehran on Monday.

The issue of unimpeded passage for cargo ships through the Strait of Hormuz has been a key point of contention in the talks, with Iran and the US frequently at odds over the strait's status and control. Iran's state news agency IRNA reported on Saturday that Iran had granted permission to several Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the strait upon repeated requests from Baghdad through various channels.

This permission was one of Baghdad's main demands during Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf's visit to Iraq. In late June, Iran announced that an agreement with Oman on new shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz was nearing completion, but insisted the strait would only reopen once the United States fulfilled additional requirements.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that Iran would refrain from initiating talks with Washington as long as the US violated the interim deal signed in June, emphasizing that communications are currently being conducted through intermediaries.