Oman has announced the postponement of a high-level regional meeting between Iran and Gulf countries on the future of the Strait of Hormuz, the primary maritime flashpoint in the regional conflict.
The talks were scheduled to take place on Monday in the southern city of Salalah to address transit through the strategic corridor, which remains vital for global oil and gas supplies.
"It has been decided to postpone to a later date the regional meeting that was to be held on Monday in Salalah, in order to create conditions conducive to a constructive dialogue," the state-run Oman News Agency reported on Sunday.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi posted on the X platform that Muscat remains "determined to promote dialogue that contributes to stability and lasting cooperation in our region."
Iran's Fars news agency, citing the director general of the foreign ministry's Persian Gulf Affairs Office, reported that the postponement "was made at the request of some countries in the region and a joint decision by Tehran and Muscat."
Diplomatic hesitation
Tehran had previously announced that Iraq and Gulf states would participate in the Muscat-hosted negotiations.
However, no regional government formally confirmed attendance, whilst Bahrain explicitly ruled out taking part.
The Strait of Hormuz has been subject to an Iranian blockade—and subsequent US counter-blockades—since February 28, when US and Israeli war against Iran triggered wider regional hostilities.
A June framework accord between Washington and Tehran foundered over unresolved terms regarding the waterway.
More than six months into the conflict, disruptions across the strait have driven international crude oil prices above $100 a barrel.
While the strait operated under free commercial navigation before the war, Tehran now requires transit permits and seeks to impose service levies.
Non-compliant vessels face regular strikes, while US forces have periodically struck targets along the Iranian coastline to challenge Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) control.
