Iran-Gulf Talks in Oman to Cover Hormuz, but No Signed Deal Expected
Iran and Gulf states will meet in Oman on Monday to discuss the Strait of Hormuz and other regional issues, but no signed agreement is expected, an Iranian official says.
A meeting between Iran and Gulf states set for Monday in Oman will serve as a forum to discuss the Strait of Hormuz and other regional matters, but it is not expected to produce a signed agreement on the waterway, a senior Iranian official said on Saturday.
Tehran announced on Friday that it planned to attend the gathering with Gulf countries in Oman. Oman has not officially announced the meeting, and other regional states have so far stayed silent. Bahrain said on Saturday that it would not take part in meetings with Iran.
The Iranian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the meeting was convened at Oman's initiative and would allow participants to address regional issues beyond Hormuz.
Iran has been negotiating with Oman for months over an arrangement to govern transport through the strait, which Oman borders on its opposite bank. Oman has long maintained that its talks are backed by other Arab states in the Gulf.
According to the Iranian official, Tehran continues to seek an agreement that would let it collect fees from ships using the strait, a proposal Oman rejects.
Before the United States and Israel attacked Iran in February, launching the war, roughly a fifth of global oil supplies passed through the strait.
Global oil prices have climbed over the past week after the United States and Iran each fired on tankers in the strait, and after Iran's Houthi allies in Yemen advanced near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another vital Middle East oil conduit on the opposite side of the Arabian Peninsula.