Rizky Amelia
Tehran has announced plans to convene a high-level meeting with Iraq and Gulf Cooperation Council countries in Oman to discuss the ongoing crisis surrounding the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic maritime chokepoint remains subject to an Iranian blockade following months of escalating conflict and a persistent diplomatic deadlock with the United States.
The closure of the waterway has severely rattled international energy markets and caused significant disruption to global energy supplies. The fallout has been felt most acutely across the Gulf region, where neighboring nations depend almost exclusively on oil and gas exports moving through the corridor to fund the vast majority of their national budgets.
Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs framed the proposed gathering as an initiative designed to cultivate mutual understanding among neighboring states and reinforce shared regional security frameworks. Iranian officials have consistently maintained that security in surrounding waters must be managed strictly from within the region rather than by foreign forces.
Elaborating on Tehran’s position, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei emphasized that the invitation demonstrates Iran’s constructive intent. Baghaei stated that regional stability should be safeguarded solely by local governments without the intervention of outside powers, even as he pointed out that military installations and territories belonging to neighboring countries have been utilized to launch strikes against Iranian territory.
Tensions across the Gulf have deepened considerably since the wider conflict broke out in February following military campaigns launched by the United States and Israel against Iran. In the months since, several Gulf states have accused Tehran of carrying out retaliatory strikes against vital civilian infrastructure, including regional airports and critical water desalination facilities.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi clarified the scope of the forthcoming discussions, noting that Tehran intends to present neighboring delegations with the details of an arrangement reached with Muscat, complete with maps outlining designated new maritime routes. Baghaei added that the Iranian delegation would formally brief participants on the outcome of its bilateral consultations with Oman concerning the safe transit of commercial shipping.
However, Araghchi cautioned that the bilateral framework with Oman should not be interpreted as an imminent reopening of the strategic channel. He stressed that the waterway will not resume standard operations until Washington adheres to the terms of a previous 60-day memorandum of understanding that had been electronically signed in June before collapsing the following month.
The temporary June arrangement fell apart in July after the United States attempted to establish an alternative maritime passage positioned closer to Omani territorial waters. That maneuvering prompted renewed Iranian strikes and deepened the military standoff in the corridor, through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s petroleum and natural gas supplies normally flow.
The heightened risks facing maritime traffic were underscored on Sunday when an attack struck an Iranian commercial vessel in the vicinity of Qeshm Island within the strait. The maritime incident resulted in at least one fatality and left four other crew members injured, marking the latest in a wave of escalating assaults on commercial vessels traversing the contested waters.
Despite Tehran’s diplomatic overture, Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a formal statement announcing that the kingdom will refuse to attend the Omani talks. Bahrain has sustained significant damage from Iranian strikes since the outbreak of hostilities in February and took a firm stance against the proposed regional format.
In its official rejection, Manama stated that regional peace and security cannot be sustained through what it described as a policy of appeasement. The Bahraini government demanded that the Strait of Hormuz be fully reopened to international shipping without the imposition of discriminatory measures, special permits, or transit fees.
Bahrain also reiterated that while it remains dedicated to diplomatic dialogue in principle, it will not engage in any collective regional forums involving Iran until formal bilateral diplomatic relations are officially restored. Manama severed its diplomatic ties with Tehran in 2016 in tandem with Saudi Arabia; however, while Riyadh restored relations in 2023, Bahrain and Iran have yet to re-establish formal ties.
Most other invited regional governments, including Iraq and fellow members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, have not publicly confirmed whether their delegations will travel to Oman for the scheduled Monday talks. The diplomatic outreach follows previous mediation efforts, including a visit to Tehran late last month by Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani aimed at breaking the US-Iran deadlock.
Behind the scenes, the central dispute over the strait remains heavily contentious. Tehran continues to seek formal recognition of its regulatory authority over the passage, including the legal right to collect transit fees from commercial vessels, a demand firmly opposed by Washington. While Oman is negotiating shipping terms on the opposite bank with the consent of regional neighbors, Araghchi reiterated that enduring stability will require direct regional responsibility rather than external intervention.
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