Gulf diplomats and Iranian officials were set to meet Monday to discuss an Omani plan for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to regular tanker traffic, a conversation that would have happened without a critical player: the United States.
But, as news of the meeting circulated on Sunday, it was indefinitely postponed, according to the Omani foreign minister.
“In the interests of consensus the regional meeting set for tomorrow in Salalah has been postponed,” Badr Albusaidi, the foreign minister, wrote in an X post. “We remain committed to fostering dialogue that supports stability and lasting cooperation in our region.”
Despite shipping traffic remaining depressed, President Donald Trump has insisted the state of the waterway is acceptable for now with the US military escorting oil tankers.
The meeting that was scheduled for Monday would have underscored that — despite active efforts to develop alternative corridors for passage through the strait — countries in the region are unwilling to accept the status quo as the new normal. After months of private discussions on a complicated possible legal framework to reopen the strait that could allow Iran and Oman to collect fees, diplomats hoped the gathering could create some momentum for a deal.
“There is no imminent breakthrough expected, but resolving the strait issue is the most pressing issue, so we need to start somewhere,” a regional source said.
Saudi Arabia submitted amendments because it had concerns that the proposed language could effectively establish a new status quo that would not be acceptable to it or the other Gulf Cooperation Council states.
The possibility of Iranian tolls is still widely rejected, but there is a willingness to consider voluntary contributions for directing passage through the strait, the sources said.
Credit: cnn.com
