Oman's state news agency reports that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart agreed to continue contacts to find a solution to the Strait of Hormuz issue. The announcement follows earlier talks this evening that Omani officials said had produced an understanding on free passage, though Iran did not confirm that claim.
The diplomatic track over the Strait of Hormuz took another turn Saturday evening. At 21:45 Jerusalem, Oman's state news agency reported that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Omani counterpart agreed to continue contacts to find a solution to the strait's status. The announcement comes about two and a half hours after the earlier round of talks ended at 19:21 Jerusalem, when Omani officials claimed an understanding had been reached to allow free passage — a claim Iran did not confirm in its own statement. The new Omani report shifts the emphasis from a claimed understanding to a commitment to keep negotiating, suggesting the earlier claim may have been premature or part of a broader process.
Earlier Saturday evening, at 19:21 Jerusalem, The Zioneer published a series of updates on the talks. The first report noted that Iran's foreign ministry said Araghchi and his Omani counterpart discussed freedom of navigation under Article 5 of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding. A subsequent version added that the two agreed on mechanisms for safe passage under that article. As the talks progressed, Iran's foreign ministry confirmed the meeting, and a senior Iranian source told Tasnim that the strait lies exclusively within Iranian and Omani territorial waters, rejecting any Qatari influence. Qatar's prime minister had joined the meeting, but Iran clarified Doha had no sway over the strait. Journalist Barak Ravid reported that the United States had set an ultimatum for the weekend to reach a shipping agreement. Finally, Omani officials claimed an understanding on free passage, but Iran's statement did not mention any such agreement.
Background from The Zioneer's archive shows that the Hormuz discussions have been ongoing for weeks. On June 23, Iran said it had established a joint committee with Oman for Hormuz talks. On June 26, Iran's foreign minister said Tehran and Muscat would hold talks to set a framework for fees, while Oman reaffirmed its position of free passage. Later that day, Iran's foreign ministry clarified that shipping in the strait would be governed by the end-of-war memorandum with Oman. These antecedents show a gradual negotiation process, with Iran seeking a fee-based management system and Oman advocating for free passage.
What remains open: the status of any free-passage agreement is still uncertain. The new commitment to continue talks leaves the fundamental question of whether ships will pass without fees or under a new fee regime unresolved. Iran has not publicly altered its position that the strait is a bilateral matter between Iran and Oman, and the Omani claim of an understanding earlier in the evening has not been confirmed by Tehran.
8 developments
- StrongIran says it will hold talks with Oman to set fees for Strait of Hormuz passage
- StrongIran says final agreement talks to start in coming days, Hormuz closure denied
- StrongQatar PM in Oman ahead of talks to open Hormuz between Gulf states and Iran
- StrongQatari delegation meets Iranian FM Araghchi in Mashhad, Iran confirms
Source and signal
- Internal intake