Oman’s top diplomat goes to Iran for talks

Oman’s top diplomat held talks in Iran today, Tehran says, as the two countries seek a way to regulate transit through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has obstructed since the beginning of its war with the US.

“Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi met and talked with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran,” an Iranian foreign ministry statement says.

No further details of the meeting are immediately announced.

Iran and Oman, both coastal states on the strait, have for weeks been discussing the future of navigation through the waterway, with Tehran saying the geographical coordinates of a route envisaged by the two countries “have been agreed upon.”

Iranian officials, however, have insisted that the strait will not fully reopen until the United States meets Tehran’s demands, including lifting its naval blockade, dropping oil sanctions and unfreezing assets abroad.