Saudi Arabia has submitted amendments to an Omani-Iranian proposal concerning the Strait of Hormuz, Axios reported Sunday, citing a Gulf official.
The official said the amendments were driven by Saudi concerns that the proposed wording could entrench a new reality in the strait that Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states would not be able to accept.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi announced Sunday that a regional meeting scheduled for Monday in Salalah had been postponed to a later date, saying the move was intended to create conditions for dialogue that could lead to understandings supporting regional security and stability.
In a post on X, Albusaidi said the postponement was aimed at “creating the appropriate conditions for constructive dialogue that contributes to reaching sustainable understandings that support the security and stability of the region and meet the aspirations of its peoples for cooperation and peace.”
The meeting had been scheduled in Salalah between Gulf states and Iran to discuss potential arrangements concerning the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Fars News Agency quoted an Iranian Foreign Ministry official as saying the meeting in Oman had been postponed at the request of some regional countries, following a joint decision by Tehran and Muscat.
The official said Iran would coordinate with Oman to determine a suitable date for the meeting.
Oil prices rose at the start of Monday’s trading following developments threatening supplies from Saudi Arabia, the world’s largest oil exporter. Saudi Arabia kept a major 1,200-kilometer east-west pipeline closed at the beginning of the week after it was damaged in drone attacks on Friday.
Hopes for a near-term diplomatic breakthrough faded after Albusaidi announced the postponement of the meeting.
Iranian officials had said they would attend the meeting with Gulf states to present an agreement with Oman on regulating shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz.
The postponement followed Saudi Arabia’s decision to shut down the East-West Pipeline, at least for the time being. The pipeline is a key route for transporting Middle Eastern oil away from the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, the strait continues to pose risks to oil shipments. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Sunday that a vessel was hit by a projectile while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, sparking a fire and forcing its crew to evacuate.
The past two weeks have seen a continued escalation in the war launched by the United States and Israel six months ago, following a period of calm in August when oil flows from the Middle East gradually increased.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Araby Al Jadeed that regardless of any agreement with Oman, Iran would not reopen the strait unless the United States met Tehran’s demands.
The United States has so far failed to achieve the objectives outlined by President Donald Trump when he launched Operation Epic Fury in February. The stated goals were to end Tehran’s nuclear program, prevent Iran from acquiring the ability to attack its neighbors, and create conditions that would allow the Iranian people to overthrow their rulers.
During a visit to Ireland earlier this week that included attending a golf tournament, Trump reiterated that he still expects the war with Iran to end this year, possibly shortly after the US midterm elections in November, at which point gasoline prices would “drop sharply.”
Source: Agencies
