Iran and Oman have agreed to continue high-level negotiations on the future administration of maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, following days of heightened military tensions between Tehran and Washington. On 11 July, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr Albusaidi in Muscat, and both sides committed to further political, legal and technical talks, according to Iranian and Omani official statements.

Viewed from Tehran, the discussions are a bilateral matter between the two coastal states that must take account of what Iranian officials describe as a US-"Zionist regime" war launched in recent months, which has had severe security consequences for navigation in the strategic waterway. Iran insists that any future arrangement for managing shipping must emerge from consultations solely between the littoral states, consistent with international law and point 5 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding reportedly signed in June 2026. The Iranian delegation included legal and technical experts, and a foreign ministry spokesperson stated that the two sides exchanged views on ensuring security and safety of navigation while respecting sovereign rights.

From Muscat, the focus appears to have been on a concrete mechanism to stabilize traffic. Sources familiar with the talks indicate that Oman tabled a proposal for two separate corridors: a southern route through Omani territorial waters guaranteeing unrestricted navigation, and a northern route through Iranian waters where vessels would require prior Iranian clearance. No tolls would be levied. The plan, described as not yet final, would keep both corridors open but subject passage through the Iranian sector to Tehran’s permission—a formula that, from Omani officials' perspective, could de-conflict the waterway while accommodating Iranian security concerns.

The talks occurred against the backdrop of a sharp escalation. Only hours earlier, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the closure of the Strait of Hormuz until the end of US "interference" in the region. An IRGC unit then fired on a Cyprus-flagged container vessel for allegedly violating the agreed route, triggering US military strikes against Iran early on 12 July. The strait carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne oil trade.

Qatar joined part of the Muscat discussions, a role consistent with its recent mediation between Iran and the United States. Additionally, the Pakistani Foreign Minister spoke by telephone with Araghchi, urging de-escalation in line with the Islamabad MoU. The parties agreed to continue their consultations at both political and technical-legal levels, though no timeline for the next round was announced.