Iran Says Saudi Request Delayed Hormuz Talks as Oman Deal Nears Finalisation

Iran's foreign ministry said on Monday that Oman's decision to postpone a regional meeting on the Strait of Hormuz followed a request from Saudi Arabia, and confirmed that a separate understanding between Tehran and Muscat on managing shipping through the waterway has been completed.

Speaking at his weekly briefing in Tehran, foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the reports about the postponement were accurate. "Saudi Arabia did request that the meeting be postponed for the time being," he said, describing the planned gathering as a valuable opening for restoring security in the region.

Baghaei said no responsible party should let such an opportunity slip, whether because of pressure from actors outside the region or because of pretexts that, in reality, have nothing to do with Iran.

Oman had earlier announced that the Monday meeting in Muscat, which was to bring together Iran and other regional countries, would not go ahead. Oman's foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, said in a post on X late on Sunday that the meeting had been postponed "in the interests of consensus."

According to a Gulf official familiar with the matter, who was not authorised to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, Saudi Arabia has submitted amendments to the Iran-Oman agreement. Riyadh is said to be concerned that the emerging arrangement could have lasting implications for the Strait of Hormuz that might negatively affect other Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

Baghaei said the understanding between Iran and Oman, as the two coastal states bordering the strait, has been finalised. He said the next step, including how the understanding would be announced or formally registered, would be decided in consultation with Oman, with further details to be provided later.

The spokesman also rejected allegations of Iranian involvement in attacks on Saudi oil pipelines. "The claims made by U.S. officials regarding Iran's involvement in these developments are absolutely unfounded. These allegations are categorically denied," he said.

On maritime security, Baghaei said freedom of navigation should apply to all countries. He argued that a state cannot be attacked or subjected to a naval blockade and then be expected to act unilaterally as the guardian of maritime shipping.

He also dismissed what he described as a shifting narrative used to justify claims that Iran is not complying with the Non-Proliferation Treaty, saying new issues are repeatedly raised and amplified through media campaigns. Many people, he said, are genuinely misled into believing that a new development has occurred or that unusual activity is under way in a particular area.

Separately, Baghaei addressed the status of a U.S. submarine, saying it was not seized but captured as spoils of war, which he described as lawful. He further accused unnamed parties of levelling accusations, issuing resolutions and preparing inaccurate reports against a country while denying its representatives the chance to defend themselves, saying the campaign against Iran has extended beyond the military sphere to the diplomatic and legal fronts.