Iran, Oman hold Hormuz talks
Delegations discussed Strait transit rules and sovereign rights in Muscat talks
Iranian and Omani delegations met in Muscat for legal-technical talks on the Strait of Hormuz, focusing on safe passage arrangements and each country's sovereign rights over the waterway. Iran’s delegation, led by Abbas Baqerpour, stressed that the strait falls within the territorial waters of both states; they later held separate talks with Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi. IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez also met Iran’s team to discuss technical issues.
At its narrowest the strait measures 21 nautical miles, meaning under the 12-nautical-mile territorial claim framework coastal waters overlap, leaving no uncontested high-seas corridor for transit. Iranian officials, including IRGC deputy Mohammad Akbarzadeh, said Iran has redefined the strait’s operational boundaries, expanding its asserted zone from local islands to a “crescent” running roughly 500 km from Jask and Sirik past Qeshm and the Greater Tunb. Tehran says it has been fully enforcing sovereign controls under the 12-mile provision and has closed the strait to “hostile” shipping, a move it ties to recent US and Israeli actions; Washington’s reported blockade of Iranian vessels has been denounced by Tehran as illegal. The situation has reportedly disrupted global energy flows and increased market volatility.
