Istanbul / Anadolu

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in the Omani capital Muscat on Saturday to discuss arrangements for the management of the Strait of Hormuz and regional developments.

The Iranian news agency IRNA reported that Araghchi arrived in the capital Muscat "to discuss the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, regional developments, and bilateral relations with Omani officials."

It clarified that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei said in press statements on Friday evening that Araghchi's visit to Muscat comes "as a continuation of the consultations we began with Oman over the past two months regarding the issue of the Strait of Hormuz."

Baghaei stressed that the strait is one of the "main issues" in the memorandum of understanding signed with the United States, mediated by Pakistan and Qatar, on June 18, 2026, to end the war.

The memorandum stipulates a cessation of hostilities, the lifting of the US naval blockade on Iran, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, after its closure caused a rise in oil and gas prices and inflation rates.

Baghaei said: "According to what was agreed, we were supposed to consult and cooperate with Oman in this regard. Several rounds of technical meetings have been held so far, in both Tehran and Muscat, and this visit also comes as part of the continuation of the same consultations, to help facilitate safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."

On Friday, the United States demanded Iran provide a public commitment not to target ships in the Strait of Hormuz and to keep all its sea lanes open to commercial navigation, according to US media reports citing unnamed US officials.

This comes as the Strait of Hormuz region witnesses periodic security tensions against the backdrop of the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran on February 28, 2026.

Iran insists on the need to coordinate with it before any ship crosses the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which is one of the world's most important transit routes for energy supplies.

On June 29 last, the joint Iranian-Omani committee for managing navigation in the Strait of Hormuz held its first meeting in Muscat.

The Omani side in the committee was headed by the Ambassador at Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Hinai, while the Iranian side was headed by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi.

According to the semi-official Iranian Tasnim news agency, Gharibabadi said the meeting included a "review of issues related to the Strait of Hormuz," along with discussion of Article 5 of the "Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding," which calls for ensuring safe passage for commercial ships through the strait, and discussing the future of its management within the framework of the rights of the riparian states.

Both sides affirmed that the coordination comes within the framework of what is consistent with the common interests and sovereignty of the two countries, their commitment to international law, and discussion of frameworks for cooperation in the fields of navigation and maritime services, as they are the two littoral states of the strait, and in line with existing bilateral and international understandings.

Prior to that, Oman and Iran agreed to form a joint working group to continue dialogue, with the aim of reaching an agreement on the management of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and related services.