WANA (Jun 23) – High-level meetings to establish a new management framework for the strategic Strait of Hormuz have officially commenced in Muscat, attended by the Sultan of Oman and Iran’s top negotiating team, led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi.

 

According to reports on the Iranian delegation’s meetings with the Sultan of Oman, the Islamic Republic’s negotiating team travelled to Oman immediately following the conclusion of recent talks in Switzerland.

 

Discussions between the Iranian and Omani delegations regarding the status of the Strait of Hormuz began within the first hours of their arrival in Muscat.

 

The talks, which were also attended by the Omani Foreign Minister, reportedly extended late into Monday night. The primary focus of the session was establishing a new management structure for the Strait of Hormuz and reviewing maritime transit arrangements through the strategic chokepoint.

 

Concurrently, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and members of the Iranian delegation held a formal meeting with the Sultan of Oman. Sources indicate that the core focus of this meeting centred heavily on the Strait of Hormuz and the newly emerging conditions governing the vital international waterway.

 

No Return to Pre-Aggression Status Quo

Insiders close to the negotiations report that the Iranian side is firmly emphasising that the management of the Strait of Hormuz and its shipping conditions will not return to the status quo that existed prior to recent “U.S. and Israeli aggression.” Instead, both sides are strictly reviewing new maritime arrangements.

 

Meanwhile, parallel to the diplomatic track in Oman, specialised technical committees are convening in Switzerland. Led by Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, these committees are tasked with evaluating the executive mechanisms of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

 

The technical talks in Switzerland are reportedly centering on the tracking of frozen assets, oil sales, and the precise execution of commitments by all involved parties.