Oman postpones Iran-Gulf meeting on Strait of Hormuz

• Oman has postponed a regional meeting that was scheduled for Monday in Salalah, which was expected to bring Iran together with Gulf states to discuss security and navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
• The postponement comes amid heightened regional tensions, while Bahrain had already said it would not participate in the proposed talks with Iran.

Oman has postponed a regional meeting that was scheduled for Monday in Salalah, Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said on Sunday.

The meeting was expected to bring Iran together with Gulf states and Iraq to discuss regional developments and arrangements for commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

The talks were part of an Omani diplomatic effort to build regional support for temporary arrangements aimed at facilitating safer commercial shipping through the strategic waterway.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei had said the meeting would address the results of discussions between Iran and Oman on establishing safe routes for commercial vessels through the strait, as well as broader regional issues.

The Strait of Hormuz has been severely disrupted since the US war on Iran began in February, affecting one of the world's most important routes for oil and gas shipments.

The postponement follows Bahrain's announcement that it would not participate in the proposed meeting with Iran.

Manama said regional security could not be preserved through "appeasement" and called for the Strait of Hormuz to be open without discrimination, fees or permits. Bahrain also said it would not join a collective meeting involving Iran before diplomatic relations between the two countries are restored.

Iran has been negotiating with Oman over arrangements governing maritime traffic through the strait. One unresolved issue has been Tehran's proposal to collect fees from vessels using the waterway, which Oman has opposed.

The Omani foreign minister did not announce a new date for the meeting or provide a specific reason for the postponement, saying only that the delay was intended to help achieve consensus.