Qatar coordinates with Iran-Oman on Hormuz passage

Shafaq News- Muscat

Qatar will join Iran-Oman discussions on the future of the Strait of Hormuz, with talks expected to focus on a possible deal to restore full maritime passage through the strategic waterway, Axios reported on Saturday.

Citing a diplomat familiar with the discussions, the outlet noted that the talks, scheduled for today in Muscat, will include a potential statement on reopening the central islands in the Strait of Hormuz, which lies in international waters, to unrestricted navigation.

Hormuz, a critical shipping route between Iran and Oman that historically carried around 20% of the world’s oil and fuel shipments, has remained largely closed since Feb. 28 after Iran restricted maritime traffic in response to the US-Israeli war. Washington and Tehran later reached an understanding to resume shipping under a memorandum signed in Switzerland on June 17.

Iran has, however, rejected a return to the pre-war arrangements, when ships could transit the strait without paying fees, arguing that any future agreement must reflect the conditions that emerged after the conflict, Axios reported.

Tehran has begun implementing a mechanism to collect transit fees from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a move the United States has dismissed. US President Donald Trump previously threatened to "blow up" Oman if it attempted to control the maritime corridor in cooperation with Tehran, maintaining that the waterway must remain open to all and not fall under the control of any single party.

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