Gulf Ministerial Council Discusses Iran Negotiations and Regional Support for Oman’s Proposal to Manage the Strait of Hormuz
Amid intense regional efforts to contain the risks of an escalating conflict turning into a war of attrition that would jeopardize the region’s resources, the foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states held a consultative meeting via video conference yesterday. Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jara Al-Jaber participated in the meeting, which discussed the latest developments in the understandings and negotiations underway between the United States and Iran, as well as efforts to advance these talks toward practical agreements that contribute to de-escalating tensions and enhancing regional security and stability.
The Saudi and Qatari foreign ministries stated in separate statements yesterday that the ministers also discussed ways to intensify coordination and consultation among GCC member states regarding issues related to freedom and safety of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, ensuring the rights of passage and transit, as well as the smooth flow of ships, trade, and supplies, in accordance with international law, while safeguarding the sovereign rights of all coastal states of the Gulf waters.
The ministers’ consultations coincided with Reuters reporting that a Gulf source and a Western diplomat stated that the Sultanate of Oman had obtained support from Gulf states for a plan that would allow Iran to collect voluntary fees for passage through the Hormuz Strait.
This came after Al-Jarida newspaper revealed that Tehran had informed Muscat of its preliminary approval of the proposal, while demanding guarantees against the resumption of US-Israeli military attacks and an end to the war across the entire region.
A Reuters source clarified that the Omani proposal stipulates that Iran would not exercise sole control over the strait, and that the fees would be voluntary, similar to the practice in the Asian Malacca Strait.
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported that new discussions between Iranians and Omanis are nearing an understanding in the coming days, without guaranteeing a final agreement. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that he held separate phone talks with his Omani counterpart, Badr Al-Busaidi, and his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, which covered “regional peace and freedom of navigation in Hormuz.”
While Al-Jarida sources confirmed that preparations are underway between Iranian and US officials to arrange a new meeting between chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and US Vice President JD Vance, accompanied by regional figures, Vance hinted at the possibility of Washington and Tehran reviving diplomatic understandings following the collapse of the Islamabad memorandum.
Before meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the first time since the start of the war on Iran, Trump stressed that Washington would no longer allow Iran to violate agreements, noting that “Tehran has preliminarily agreed not to possess a nuclear weapon, but it must formally acknowledge this.”
