The Foreign Ministers of the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) are expected to meet on Monday in Salalah, Oman, with their Iranian counterpart to discuss a temporary agreement on maritime circulation in the Strait of Hormuz. The meeting is being promoted by Oman and Iran and will be the first to bring these countries together since the beginning of the conflict between Iran, the United States and Israel in February.
Tehran and Muscat have been negotiating for several weeks a provisional understanding to ensure the passage of ships through the strait, one of the world's main routes for oil and gas transportation. According to information released, ships would enter the waterway through Iranian waters and exit mainly through waters under Omani jurisdiction. The plan also includes the creation of a joint maritime corridor and a project to remove mines from the strait.
The spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that negotiations were in the final phase and the understanding could be presented shortly to the International Maritime Organization. Technical discussions are also expected to address the definition of a permanent route, the future management model for the passage, information sharing, traffic management, and security mechanisms.
The diplomatic initiative comes in a context of strong regional tension. The Gulf countries intend to ensure that any agreement is temporary and allows the entry and exit of commercial ships, while Iran seeks to obtain GCC support to ease the pressure exerted by the United States on its ports. Iran announced at the end of February restrictions on the passage of ships linked to Israel and the United States, following joint U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iranian territory. Diplomats warned that an exclusively regional agreement may not be sufficient to guarantee lasting normalization of navigation, as the full reopening of the strait may depend on a broader understanding between Washington and Tehran.
