Oman condemned the attack on a tanker in the Strait of Hormuz, which is suspected to have been carried out by Iran, whilst stating that talks with Tehran aimed at reaching an agreement on a new route through the vital waterway had been “positive” and “constructive”.
On 8 August, Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement “condemning the repeated attacks on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which constitute a violation of international law and the sovereignty of territorial waters, and also pose a threat to the safety of maritime navigation and to the security and stability of the region”.
In a post on social media platform X, the Omani Ministry of Foreign Affairs added that “negotiations regarding agreements on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz are taking place in a positive and constructive atmosphere”.
The Ministry also emphasised “the importance of avoiding any actions that could affect these negotiations and the progress made, taking into account the interests of all parties”.
The United Arab Emirates stated that on 8 August, Iran attacked a tanker belonging to the state oil company whilst it was transiting the Strait.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the “hostile Iranian attack”, adding that the missile caused damage but there were no casualties on board the vessel.
A few hours earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi had stated that Tehran and Muscat were “very close” to reaching an agreement on a new route through the Strait.
At the same time, Arakchi said that Tehran would set conditions for the agreement, in particular compensation for what he described as US violations of the agreement between Iran and the United States, brokered by Pakistan earlier this year.
There have been no comments from US officials as yet.
Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump stated that, in his view, Iran would not be able to tolerate the conflict any longer, and that negotiations with Tehran on opening the Strait of Hormuz were continuing.
Iranian officials have countered that talks with Washington are taking place, whilst Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Bakai indicated that Tehran and Muscat had almost finalised a joint statement, “provided that certain third parties do not obstruct the process”.
The blockade of the strait has long been one of the central issues in the conflict between the United States and Iran and one of the main obstacles to a negotiated settlement aimed at ending the wider conflict in the Middle East.