Salalah: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has announced that an upcoming meeting in Oman on Monday will focus on establishing a new maritime route through the Strait of Hormuz. Araghchi informed the London-based Arabic-language news outlet Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the gathering will take place in the Omani city of Salalah, with participation from Iran, Iraq, and five Gulf countries. Initially, the meeting was intended to include all eight countries bordering the Gulf, but Bahrain has chosen not to participate, leaving seven nations at the table.
According to Anadolu Agency, Araghchi emphasized that the sole agenda of this meeting is the new maritime route in the Strait of Hormuz. He revealed that Iran and Oman have finalized an agreement concerning the new route and have prepared maps and a joint statement to outline the arrangements. These documents will be presented to the participating countries and subsequently submitted to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for registration.
Araghchi clarified that the agreement with Oman does not imply the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, it establishes the framework and specifics of new entry and exit routes to be utilized if conditions permit the reopening of the strategic waterway. He stipulated that for the strait to reopen, the United States must return to its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding.
The Iranian foreign minister accused the US of compromising maritime security through a naval blockade and economic warfare. He suggested that the Iran-Oman arrangements could facilitate a return to normal navigation if Washington adheres to its commitments. Araghchi asserted that responsibility for security and stability in the region lies solely with the regional countries.
Despite the focus on maritime arrangements, Araghchi insisted that Monday's meeting is not intended to establish a new regional security mechanism. He expressed hope that the talks would lead to further consultations on shared regional concerns.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated on Saturday that the foreign ministers' meeting in Oman would address the joint Iran-Oman shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, with the agreement to be communicated to the IMO. He affirmed Iran's stance on reopening the strait once the US ceases its attacks and naval blockade.
The backdrop to these discussions includes recent tensions, with the US and Israel launching attacks on Iran in February, leading Tehran to retaliate against military targets in the region. Although Washington and Tehran reached the Islamabad understanding in June, its implementation stalled due to disagreements over the Strait of Hormuz, further complicated by renewed US military actions in August and Iran's subsequent responses.