Qatar has seen positive signs in talks between Oman and Iran over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, according to its foreign ministry, despite concerns that demands for compensation could delay an agreement.
“We have heard positive statements from both capitals in the recent couple of days,” Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Dr Majed Al Ansari told reporters in Doha on Tuesday.
“We look to this quite positively, and we are waiting to see what transpires at the end.”
According to Al Ansari, Oman and Iran have indicated that the talks have reached the technical stage, with Tehran saying it was preparing an official announcement.
Oman and Iran have agreed on the coordinates of proposed shipping routes through the Hormuz and are working to finalise an arrangement for vessels using the waterway.
Under the proposed system, ships entering the Gulf would use a northern route through Iranian waters, while departing vessels would use a southern route through Omani waters, according to media reports.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said over the weekend that an agreement with Oman was “very close,” yet Tehran has linked a wider reopening of the strait to demands from Washington.
These include an end to US sanctions and military threats, as well as compensation for damage caused during the war.
Compensation not part of current talks, Qatar says
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that Iran should compensate people killed or injured in attacks he blamed on Tehran.
Asked whether Trump’s demand was being discussed, Al Ansari said Qatar was focused on the wording currently being exchanged by Oman and Iran.
“I am not aware of any discussion of compensation within these talks,” he said. “We are not there yet, as we are talking right now about the opening of the strait, diplomacy, the ceasefire and the correct parameters.”
Trump said compensation from Iran should form part of any peace talks, after Tehran demanded payment from the US and Israel for damage caused during the war that began with strikes across Iran on 28 February.
Al Ansari said Qatar was concerned about any delay in reaching an agreement.
“We would like to see freedom of navigation restored immediately in the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law,” he said.
Qatar’s priority was to reopen the waterway, maintain the ceasefire and clear the way for wider talks, he added.
Commercial traffic through Hormuz, meanwhile, remains far below pre-war levels.
Only six vessels passed through the strait on Monday, compared with a 10-day daily average of around 11 and between 130 and 140 ships a day before the war, Reuters reported, citing shipping data.
The waterway handled around one-fifth of global oil supplies before the war, while Qatar depends on it to export liquefied natural gas.
Al Ansari said Qatar would support any regionally agreed arrangement that protected navigation and complied with international law.