Iran and Oman’s foreign ministers met in Tehran on Tuesday to discuss a phased approach to managing ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a criticial waterway that remains effectively closed since the war in Iran started in February.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi “discussed a phased framework that could provide a practical and implementable basis for moving forward,” a joint statement said.
The proposed framework includes a “joint temporary navigational corridor” through the strait and a mine-clearing project in the waterway.
Further negotiations will establish a “permanent navigational corridor and future administration of the Strait, as well as a mechanism for information-sharing, traffic management, and the provision of relevant navigational and security services”, the statement added.
“I am hopeful we will soon announce a temporary corridor for the Strait of Hormuz,” Albusaidi wrote on X, adding that the countries will work towards a permanent solution, as well as an agreement on who will administer the strait.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi told state television that the temporary route for marine traffic enterting the Persian Gulf from the Gulf of Oman would pass entirely through Iranian waters, while the outbound route would pass through both Iranian waters and Omani waters.
Iran and Oman will hold further talks over 30 to 60 days, Gharibabadi added.
The talks come a week after US President Donald Trump threatened to launch strikes against Oman if it “gets in the way” of talks between Washington and Tehran over the Strait of Hormuz.
“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the s— out of them, Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Monday, as June’s US-Iran memorandum of understanding expired.
It is unclear whether Trump will accept the deal reached between Iran and Oman.
Iran’s president and other senior officials also discussed the strait with a Pakistani delegations that left Tehran on Tuesday after holding talks aimed at reviving negotiations to end the war in Iran, Pakistan’s military said.