Iran will hold talks with Gulf countries in Oman on Monday on the future management of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
The meeting would seek to improve mutual understanding among regional countries and strengthen collective security in the region.
“Iraq and other littoral Persian Gulf states” are also expected to attend, according to the statement.
Iran has been engaged in war since February 28, when US and Israeli strikes killed its supreme leader. Iran subsequently launched retaliatory attacks across the region and restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy route that previously carried around one-fifth of the world’s oil supplies.
Oman and Iran, both of which border the strategic waterway, have held discussions for several weeks over managing the strait in the post-war period.
Before the conflict, vessels could pass through the waterway freely. Iran now requires ships to secure permission before transiting and is also considering introducing service charges. Vessels failing to comply have periodically come under Iranian attack, while the United States has carried out intermittent strikes along Iran’s coastline in an effort to challenge Tehran’s control over the crucial waterway.
