Iran Says US Absent From Oman Talks on Hormuz Strait
TEHRAN-Iran said on Monday that the United States is not participating in ongoing discussions with Oman over the administration of the Strait of Hormuz, insisting the negotiations are strictly bilateral as Tehran maintains control over one of the world’s most strategically important maritime corridors.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told a weekly news briefing that recent discussions between Iranian and Omani officials were being conducted exclusively between the two neighbouring countries and had no connection to Washington. He added that the Strait of Hormuz remained closed.
Deputy foreign ministers from Iran and Oman held talks on Friday and Saturday to discuss what Tehran described as common principles and operational mechanisms aimed at ensuring the safe passage of shipping through the waterway.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for global energy and commercial shipping, has remained under Iranian control since the outbreak of war involving Iran, Israel and the United States on February 28, according to Iranian authorities.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have continued to enforce Tehran’s control over navigation through the strait. Iranian officials said the force had recently turned back several vessels attempting to pass through the waterway outside routes designated by the Islamic Republic, including six ships earlier on Monday.
The status of the strait has become a central point of tension between Iran and the United States. Fighting resumed earlier this month following a ceasefire, as both sides continued to contest control over the strategic passage.
Iran has maintained that it intends to retain authority over the management of the strait, including the collection of service fees, while continuing to involve Oman in discussions as a neighbouring coastal state.
According to Iranian officials, the latest tensions followed the collapse of an Iran-US memorandum of understanding signed in June. Tehran said the breakdown of the agreement led to 13 days of exchanges of fire before hostilities paused in early Saturday under a ceasefire.
Baqaei also criticised Washington’s broader approach toward Iran, accusing the United States of disregarding international norms in recent years. He said such conduct undermined prospects for a constructive diplomatic process.
The remarks came as regional attention remained focused on the security of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint through which a significant share of global energy shipments passes.
