Iran, Oman discuss temporary Hormuz corridor, mine-clearing plan

Iran and Oman discussed plans Tuesday to establish a temporary joint shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz and launch a mine-clearing operation as the two neighbors seek to restore navigation through the vital waterway amid the ongoing regional conflict.

Iran and Oman are working on a phased framework to restore maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, including a temporary navigation corridor and a joint project to remove mines from the strategic waterway, the two countries said Tuesday.

The proposals were discussed during talks in Tehran between Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al-Busaidi and his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, according to a joint statement carried by the state-run Oman News Agency.

The ministers held what the statement described as “constructive” discussions on developments surrounding the strait and considered a phased framework intended to provide a practical basis for further negotiations.

Under the proposal, Iran and Oman would establish a temporary joint navigation corridor through the strait while cooperating on mine-clearing operations.

Technical talks are expected to continue on establishing a permanent shipping corridor and determining how navigation through the strait would be administered in the future. The negotiations will also address information sharing, maritime traffic management and the provision of navigation and security services.

Tehran and Muscat stressed the importance of consultations involving other Gulf coastal states as efforts continue to establish broader arrangements for maritime traffic.

The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a major flashpoint since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, prompting Tehran to blockade the waterway and Washington to impose a naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports.

Shipping through the strait remains severely disrupted, rattling global energy markets because the narrow passage normally handles about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports.

The Iran-Oman announcement came as U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the U.S. Navy had removed or detonated all mines in the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also warned that vessels attempting to lay new mines would be destroyed.

Iran and Oman, which sit on opposite sides of the strait, have been negotiating arrangements for navigation through the waterway for weeks. Iranian officials previously said the geographical coordinates of a proposed route had been agreed upon.

Tehran, however, has maintained that a full reopening of the strait depends on Washington meeting several Iranian demands, including ending its naval blockade, lifting oil sanctions and releasing frozen Iranian assets abroad.

DAILYSABAH