Oman postpones meeting on new maritime route in Strait of Hormuz
Oman has postponed a regional meeting scheduled for Monday in the southern city of Salalah. The meeting was to discuss the organization of a new maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz, Anadolu Agency reports.
Oman's decision
Late on Sunday evening, Oman’s Foreign Ministry said the meeting had been postponed to a later date in order to create appropriate conditions for constructive dialogue. The ministry said the decision was intended to help reach sustainable arrangements that would support regional security, stability, cooperation and peace.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi wrote on social media platform X that the meeting in Salalah had been postponed in the interest of consensus. He also stated Oman’s intention to facilitate dialogue that supports stability and lasting cooperation in the region. The minister attached the flags of Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait to the post — countries that, according to the agency, were expected among the participants. Albusaidi did not name a new date or the reason for the postponement.
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Positions of Bahrain and Iran
The postponement came a day after Bahrain declined to take part in a collective ministerial meeting involving Iran until diplomatic relations between Manama and Tehran are restored. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei had said that Tehran was organizing a meeting, to be hosted by Oman, at the level of foreign ministers with the participation of eight countries bordering the Persian Gulf.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told the Arabic-language outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the new maritime route in the Strait of Hormuz was to be the only topic of the meeting. According to him, Iran and Oman had completed preparations for an agreement on the route, maps and a joint statement describing the arrangements. Araghchi stressed that the agreement with Oman does not mean the opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
