Iran, Oman discuss safe transit through Strait of Hormuz

• Iran and Oman discussed implementing Article 5 of the Islamabad MoU.
• The article provides for temporary, toll-free commercial transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
• The talks followed heightened US-Iran tensions over maritime security and ceasefire compliance.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Muscat on Saturday at the head of a senior political-legal delegation to hold high-stakes negotiations with Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi regarding maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.

The discussions focused on executing Article 5 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), the interim ceasefire framework brokered by Pakistan last month between Tehran and Washington.

Article 5 specifically mandates that Iran deploy its "best efforts" to ensure the safe and uncharged transit of commercial vessels through the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman for a fixed 60-day period.

Diplomacy vs. compliance disputes

During the meeting, Albusaidi emphasized Oman’s principled diplomatic stance focused on de-escalation, expressing hope that the full implementation of the Islamabad MoU would stabilize the regional security environment.

The two ministers agreed to establish a joint committee between their respective foreign ministries to establish practical mechanisms for maritime navigation while preserving the sovereignty and sovereign rights of the two littoral states bordering the strait.

The consultation follows a volatile week of diplomatic friction, where Araghchi publicly accused the US Treasury of breaching Paragraph 9 of the agreement by revoking crude oil export waivers.

Simultaneously, Washington has pressured Iran to issue a definitive public declaration guaranteeing unconditional freedom of navigation, following recent kinetic actions involving commercial tankers in the strait that US officials flagged as material breaches of the ceasefire roadmap.