Iran announced on Friday that it will hold talks with Gulf countries in Oman on Monday regarding the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran closed in response to the war launched by the United States and Israel.
اضافة اعلان
In a statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministry said the meeting aims to “strengthen understanding among the countries of the region and contribute to enhancing common regional security,” adding that Iraq and other Gulf states will also participate.
Iran came under U.S.-Israeli attacks on February 28 and responded by closing the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed before the war.
The situation has remained in place six months after the war began, driving energy prices higher and pushing the price of oil above $100 a barrel this week.
The Strait of Hormuz is bordered by Iran to the north and Oman to the south.
The two countries have been discussing for weeks how the waterway should be managed in the future. Before the outbreak of the war, vessels were able to transit the strait without restrictions or obstacles.
Iran now requires ships to obtain its authorization to pass through the vital waterway and is considering a mechanism for imposing service fees. Tehran has also designated a transit route along Iran’s northern shores of the strait, rejecting a southern route designated by Oman along its coastline.
Iranian authorities have regularly targeted vessels that violate its requirements, while the United States has carried out intermittent strikes on Iran’s coastline. U.S. President Donald Trump has continued to assert that the United States controls the strait.
