Iran says recent Pakistan, Oman talks focused on ‘regional solutions’ for Strait of Hormuz

ISLAMABAD: Iran’s foreign minister said on Wednesday this week’s talks with Pakistani and Omani officials had focused on “regional solutions,” citing plans for a new shipping corridor, joint mine-clearing and future management of the Strait of Hormuz as examples of the approach. The comments come amid renewed regional diplomacy to ease tensions after the US and Israel launched a war on Iran on Feb. 28, disrupting shipping through Hormuz, a strategic waterway that before the conflict carried about a fifth of globally traded oil and liquefied natural gas. Iran and the US have not exchanged major attacks in recent weeks, but negotiations toward a permanent settlement remain stalled. Pakistan, which along with Qatar mediated an interim US-Iran agreement in June, has been trying to bring Washington and Tehran back to the negotiating table. Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visited Tehran this week for meetings with President Masoud Pezeshkian and senior political and security officials, with Islamabad saying the talks made “significant progress” toward de-escalation and restoring the agreement. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi followed with a visit to Tehran where he and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi discussed a phased framework for restoring safe navigation through Hormuz, including a temporary joint maritime corridor and mine-clearing operation. Talks are expected to continue on a permanent corridor and future arrangements for managing navigation through the strait. “Iran’s commitment to peace and stability is matched by steadfast diplomacy with our neighbors. In talks with Pakistani and Omani guests, regional solutions were stressed,” Araghchi said in a post on X. “Proposed framework for new corridor, joint mine-clearing, and future management of Hormuz is case in point.” Iran and Oman said after Tuesday’s talks that they were discussing a temporary joint transit corridor to allow the safe and orderly resumption of navigation through the strait, as well as a joint project to clear mines from the waterway. The two sides said discussions would continue toward a permanent navigational corridor and arrangements for the future management of the route, including mechanisms for exchanging information, managing vessel traffic and providing navigational and security services. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the proposed arrangement envisaged ships entering the Gulf through Iranian waters and exiting through Omani territorial waters. He stressed, however, that the arrangement did not mean the Strait of Hormuz was immediately reopening fully. “SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS“ The talks have raised hopes of easing disruption at one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. Oil prices fell around 2 percent on Wednesday after dropping more than 3 percent a day earlier, with markets reacting to signs of progress in Iran-Oman negotiations over the waterway. The Hormuz dispute is also closely tied to broader attempts to revive US-Iran negotiations. Under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding mediated by Pakistan and Qatar in June, Washington and Tehran agreed to a framework for ending military operations and subsequent negotiations toward a permanent settlement. Talks in Switzerland later established a high-level committee and a 60-day roadmap toward a final agreement, including working groups dealing with nuclear issues, sanctions and monitoring and dispute resolution. The agreement also established a communication channel intended to prevent incidents and miscalculation and facilitate the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. Those negotiations subsequently stalled amid renewed tensions and disputes over implementation, leaving Pakistan, Qatar and Oman engaged in efforts to revive diplomacy. Munir’s Tehran visit this week was part of that effort. Pakistan’s military said his talks focused on preventing further escalation, reopening the Strait of Hormuz and bringing the conflict to an “expedited” end through a negotiated settlement. Naqvi said after the visit that discussions with Pezeshkian had focused on the US-Iran conflict, wider Middle East tensions and steps required by both sides to restore the Islamabad MoU. “Significant progress was made, and the meeting concluded on a highly positive note,” Naqvi said on Tuesday. “We remain hopeful that this momentum will help pave the way for further progress and lasting peace in the region.” Munir also spoke to US President Donald Trump ahead of his Tehran visit, according to three Pakistani sources cited by Reuters. One source said Washington had asked Pakistan to use its influence to encourage Tehran to return to negotiations. Despite the renewed diplomacy, significant differences remain. Washington this week expanded sanctions targeting Iran, while Tehran condemned the measures and has linked normalization of navigation through Hormuz to the broader dispute with the United States.

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