The talks have focused on a \u2018smooth passage\u2019 through the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran effectively blocks the vital waterway.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n Published On 5 Apr 2026<\/span>5 Apr 2026<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Oman and \u2060\u2060Iran \u2060\u2060have held deputy foreign \u2060\u2060minister-level talks, discussing \u2060\u2060options to ensure the smooth transit of vessels through the Strait \u200c\u200cof Hormuz, according to the Omani Foreign Ministry.<\/p>\n The meeting was held on Saturday \u201cat the level of undersecretaries in the foreign ministries of the two countries\u201d, the ministry said on Sunday in a post on X, adding that it was \u201cattended by specialists from both sides\u201d.<\/p>\n list of 3 items<\/span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n \u201cPossible options were discussed regarding ensuring the smooth passage through the Strait of Hormuz during these circumstances witnessed in the region,\u201d it added. \u201cDuring the meeting, experts from both sides presented a number of visions and proposals that will be studied.\u201d<\/p>\n On Sunday, three Omani ships appeared to be transiting the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>, outside Iran\u2019s \u201capproved corridor\u201d near Larak Island, according to tracking data monitored by shipping journal Lloyd\u2019s List.<\/p>\n The convoy consists of two large oil supertankers and one liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier that are sailing \u201cunusually close to the Omani coast\u201d, according to the United Kingdom-based outlet.<\/p>\n The developments come after an Iranian \u2060\u2060official said on \u2060\u2060Thursday that Iran was drafting a protocol with \u2060\u2060Oman to monitor \u2060\u2060traffic in the \u2060\u2060strait, through which about a fifth of global \u200c\u200coil supplies travel, and which Iran has severely restricted in retaliation for the ongoing US-Israeli war on the country.<\/p>\n Since the war began on February 28, Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has allowed some vessels to transit, including Pakistani, French, and Turkish-linked vessels. But about 3,000 others are stranded.<\/p>\n The waterway is a critical chokepoint for global energy shipments, especially oil and gas moving from the Gulf to Europe and Asia.<\/p>\n Disruptions there have injected volatility into the market and pushed oil- and gas-importing countries to seek alternative sources.<\/p>\n United States President Donald Trump, in a social media post over the weekend, threatened to unleash \u201call Hell\u201d if it is not opened by Monday.<\/p>\n Egypt\u2019s \u2060\u2060Foreign \u2060\u2060Minister Badr Abdelatty held separate calls \u2060\u2060to discuss proposals for regional de-escalation \u2060\u2060with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and regional counterparts, including Iranian \u200c\u200cForeign Minister Abbas Araghchi, the Egyptian ministry said in a statement on Sunday.<\/p>\n Amin Saikal, a professor emeritus at the Australian National University, said an expansion of the war \u201cis going to be hell for the whole region\u201d. \u201cThere has to be some kind of negotiated settlement,\u201d he told Al Jazeera on Sunday.<\/p>\n \u201cBut at this stage, the door for a diplomatic solution seems to be very narrow, unless President Trump decides that this conflict has caused so many problems for him domestically, as well as internationally, that it is really time to reach some compromise with the Iranians,\u201d Saikal concluded.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![](\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/2017-06-08T131939Z_1189275883_RC11B0FE7F20_RTRMADP_3_GULF-QATAR-JAZEERA-1714943623.jpg?resize=96%2C96&quality=80)
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![\"INTERACTIVE](\"https:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/INTERACTIVE-Strait-of-Hormuz-March-2-2026-1772714221.png?quality=80\")
<\/p>\nStrait effectively blocked<\/h2>\n
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