Muscat: As the US-Israeli war on Iran entered its 122nd day on Monday, June 29, Iranian and Omani officials met in Muscat for the inaugural session of a joint committee on the Strait of Hormuz, marking a new step in bilateral consultations on the future of the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Kazem Gharibabadi, said the meeting was held with Oman’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Abdulaziz Al-Hinai.
In a post on X, Gharibabadi said the two sides reviewed developments concerning the strategic waterway and discussed its future governance under paragraph five of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, while reaffirming the sovereign rights of the coastal states.
“The first meeting of the Hormuz Joint Committee was held with Abdulaziz Al-Hinai, Oman’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs,” Gharibabadi wrote.
The committee meeting took place as the Strait of Hormuz remained central to diplomatic efforts following recent hostilities involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
Although Gharibabadi did not disclose further details of the discussions, the meeting followed an agreement between the United States and Iran to halt military exchanges around the Strait of Hormuz and continue negotiations aimed at preserving a fragile ceasefire. However, both sides remain divided over who should oversee the strategic waterway, with Tehran insisting it has sole responsibility under the memorandum of understanding while Washington maintains that freedom of navigation must be protected.
Oman has long maintained its role as a regional mediator and has hosted several rounds of diplomatic engagements involving Iran and other international stakeholders.
