WASHINGTON — A meeting that Iran, Oman and Gulf states had planned to hold on the 14th to discuss issues including the Strait of Hormuz was postponed at the last minute.
Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on X, formerly Twitter, at around 11 p.m. on the 13th that the regional meeting scheduled for the following day in Salalah, Oman, had been postponed in order to reach an agreement. He added that Oman would continue working to promote dialogue that supports regional stability and sustained cooperation. The meeting had been arranged at the foreign minister level, and Albusaidi did not say when it would be held.
Iran's Fars News reported that the Iranian and Omani governments made the decision to postpone the meeting jointly, at the request of some regional countries. Bahrain had earlier said it would not attend any meeting involving Iran until diplomatic relations with Tehran were restored, and there were also expectations that attendance by Saudi Arabia, which has been targeted by Houthi attacks, was uncertain.
According to Bloomberg, Iran had planned to unveil at the meeting a plan for managing the Strait of Hormuz that it had agreed on with Oman. Iran drew a line, however, saying this did not mean a full reopening of the strait. Tehran argues that it can open the strait, even on a limited basis, only if there are concessions such as the lifting of U.S. sanctions and the release of its frozen overseas assets. With even a meeting between Iran and Middle Eastern countries postponed, concerns are growing that upward pressure on international oil prices will intensify.
