Saudi objection delays talks on temporary Strait of Hormuz shipping routes
A planned Iran-Arab meeting in Oman has been postponed without a new date, leaving a proposed Iran-Oman arrangement for limited commercial shipping unresolved.
A meeting to discuss temporary shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz has been postponed after Saudi Arabia objected to a proposed arrangement between Iran and Oman.
Officials from Iran, Oman, Iraq and Gulf Cooperation Council states were due to meet in Salalah, Oman. Bahrain declined to participate. No new date was announced.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry said Saudi Arabia’s objection caused the postponement. Axios and CNN, cited by Al Jazeera, reported that Riyadh had sought amendments over concerns the proposal could establish an unacceptable new status quo.
The proposed arrangement would create temporary entry and exit corridors for commercial vessels. Iran has stressed that the plan would not amount to a full reopening of the strait. It could also include voluntary tolls to support navigation, environmental protection and search-and-rescue operations.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Tehran would continue pursuing the bilateral agreement with Oman and would consult Muscat on how to announce or register it. The practical status of the proposed routes remains unresolved as regional governments weigh the security and economic consequences of restricted Hormuz traffic.
