Saudi Arabia wants changes to the Iran-Oman shipping plan; Hormuz Talks postponed
TEHRAN, Iran — Plans to set up temporary shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz have been put on hold after Iran and Gulf Arab states failed to agree on a regional deal.
A meeting scheduled for Monday in the southern port city of Salalah in Oman has been postponed, but no new date has been set. Iran, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq were due to meet in the talks to discuss temporary navigation arrangements for commercial vessels.
Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the postponement was aimed at creating better conditions for constructive dialogue and consensus. But Iranian officials said Saudi Arabia had asked for the delay.
The rift comes amid rising tensions around the strait and attacks on Saudi energy infrastructure that have added to supply concerns for oil in the region.
Al Jazeera, Axios, and CNN cited reports saying Saudi Arabia sought changes to the deal, concerned that some of the language of the proposed Iran-Oman arrangement could set a longer-term precedent for how the strait is managed.
Regional tensions overshadow talks.
The delay came after a drone strike on Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline, a key alternative route for getting crude to the Red Sea while traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is badly disrupted.
Saudi Arabia said Iraq had attacked the pipeline using drones, causing injuries and material damage. Iraqi authorities later said they had found and seized equipment they said was used to fire the attack. No group has claimed responsibility for the strike.
US President Donald Trump said Iran was likely behind the attack but that attribution is a US assessment and not an established fact. Iranian officials and some groups linked to Iran have denied responsibility.
The pipeline shutdown is adding to the pressure on a strained regional energy system. Saudi Arabia’s 1,200-kilometer East-West pipeline typically offers a way to transport crude from the Gulf region to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, reducing its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz.
The situation also became more complicated after Yemen’s Houthi movement claimed attacks on Saudi targets. Saudi authorities issued security alerts in several southern and western areas after the Houthis claimed they fired missiles and drones at military facilities.
What next?
Iran has maintained its insistence that any wider discussions with Washington on the Strait of Hormuz must be tied to the lifting of the US military blockade and a return to previous agreements between Tehran and Washington.
Tehran will consult Oman before deciding how to formally announce or register the Iran-Oman understanding, said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.
It is not a full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz but rather a limited access for commercial shipping.
Analysts say Iran has an interest in gaining wider regional support for the arrangement. If wider regional support is shown, it would be harder for Washington to dismiss the proposal as a unilateral Iranian initiative," Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group told Al Jazeera.
At the same time, there is a strong economic incentive for the Gulf states to resume maritime traffic. Disruptions to the strait and other energy routes threaten oil exports and economic pressure across the region.
Temporary shipping deal
According to reports, the Iran-Oman proposal has designated entry and exit corridors for commercial vessels.
Under the reported plan, one route would run through Iranian-controlled waters and the other would largely use Omani waters. Iranian officials have stressed that the arrangement would be a controlled access rather than a formal reopening of the strait.
