Iran plans Oman meeting on Strait of Hormuz as Bahrain stays away

Iran says Iraq and Gulf nations are due to meet in Oman on Monday to discuss regional security and shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, with the proposed talks focused on arrangements for safe passage and temporary shipping lanes.

Iranian officials say participants will be briefed on consultations with Oman and shown details and maps of a proposed route. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that any agreement with Oman would not, by itself, mean the strait was reopening.

Bahrain has said it will not attend a collective meeting involving Iran until diplomatic relations between the two countries are restored. Manama severed ties with Tehran in 2016; Saudi Arabia restored diplomatic relations with Iran in 2023, but Bahrain has not.

Iraq and most Gulf nations had not confirmed whether they would attend. Oman is mediating indirect discussions on shipping access, while the status of the waterway, including competing claims over control, transit conditions and proposed fees, remains contested.

The talks come amid reports of attacks involving commercial vessels in or near the strait. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile, while Iranian officials said an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel near Qeshm Island killed at least one person and wounded four. Responsibility for the incidents remains disputed.

The Strait of Hormuz carries about one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies, making any restrictions on shipping a regional security issue with wider energy consequences.