Iran and Oman hold talks on managing Strait of Hormuz
The top diplomats of Iran and Oman met on Tuesday 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-Busaidi met with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, in Tehran, Iran's capital, 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.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state TV that the two countries had reached an understanding on a temporary route. Traffic into the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman would pass entirely through Iranian waters, while the outbound route would pass partly through Iranian waters and partly through Oman’s territorial waters.
Iran and Oman would then hold negotiations over 30 to 60 days to “reach an understanding on a new permanent and sustainable route,” he said.
About a fifth of the world’s traded oil passed through the strait before the United States and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28.
It’s unknown whether the U.S. will accept the emerging deal. U.S. 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-U.S. conflict, the Pakistani military said.
Source: Associated Press
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