Iran says Hormuz talks with Oman continue 'positively'

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said Tuesday that Tehran's negotiations with Muscat on managing shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz are continuing positively, with both sides reporting advances at technical and political levels. Speaking to Iran's state-run broadcaster IRIB, Baqaei said: "The talks so far have been assessed positively at both the technical and political levels." He added that the outcomes of the talks will be announced once they have concluded.

Maritime mechanisms

"Iran is trying to develop the necessary mechanisms for future arrangements for managing shipping traffic in this strategic passage, in cooperation with Oman," Baqaei told the broadcaster. The negotiations focus on defining safe inbound and outbound shipping lanes that "safeguard the sovereign rights of both countries while taking into account the national security considerations of Iran and Oman," he noted.

Global energy chokepoint

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of global petroleum shipments, making the security of its shipping lanes critical to international energy markets. The waterway connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, serving as the primary route for oil exports from major regional producers. The ongoing talks represent the latest effort to formalize traffic management protocols through the strategic passage.