Iran has announced a summit with Iraq and Gulf states scheduled for Monday in Oman to address the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which persists amid a diplomatic impasse with the United States.
The blockade has severely disrupted global energy supplies, affecting nations worldwide. Gulf nations, whose economies heavily rely on oil and gas revenues, have been particularly hard hit.
What Has Iran Said About the Meeting?
On Friday, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the summit aims to “promote better understanding among regional nations and bolster shared security.”
“This demonstrates our willingness to engage with our neighbors, even though their territories and military bases, alongside those of the United States, have been utilized to strike Iran,” he asserted.
Gulf states have accused Tehran of targeting civilian infrastructure, including airports and desalination facilities.
Baghaei added that Tehran would “brief the delegations on the outcomes of Iran-Oman consultations regarding safe maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”
Furthermore, on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that the anticipated agreement between Tehran and Muscat governing the Strait of Hormuz would not result in the waterway reopening.
Araghchi told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that Iran would “provide the participating countries with details of the agreement with Oman and maps detailing the new route” during the summit.
However, the agreement “in no way” signals that the strait will reopen, as Tehran continues to expect the United States to honor the commitments outlined in the June memorandum of understanding. That agreement collapsed in July after the US attempted to establish an alternative route closer to Omani territory, provoking Iranian attacks.
On Sunday, an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel near Qeshm Island resulted in at least one death and four injuries, marking a recent escalation in maritime assaults.
“Iran maintains that the responsibility for ensuring regional security and stability rests solely with the countries of the region,” Araghchi added.
Who Is Planning to Attend the Meeting?
Iraq and most other Gulf states have yet to confirm their attendance at the proposed summit.
Nevertheless, Bahrain has confirmed it will not be participating.
“In light of recent reports, the Kingdom of Bahrain will not participate,” Bahrain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Saturday.
Bahrain cited attacks on Gulf infrastructure, arguing that regional security “cannot be preserved through a policy of appeasement” and demanding that Hormuz be opened without “discrimination, fees, or permits.”
Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry affirmed its commitment to dialogue but stated it “will not be a party to any collective meeting involving Iran before diplomatic relations between the two nations are restored.”
Bahrain severed diplomatic ties with Iran in 2016 alongside Saudi Arabia during a prior crisis. While Saudi Arabia restored relations in 2023, Bahrain has yet to follow suit.
What Is Behind the Meeting Between the GCC and Iran?
Indirect negotiations mediated by Oman continue among regional actors to establish safe passages and temporary shipping lanes. These talks occur despite recent attacks on commercial vessels underscoring the persistent danger in a waterway that facilitates a fifth of global oil and gas transit.
Senior officials from Iran and Gulf states have engaged in calls to resolve the conflict. Last month, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani visited Tehran to de-escalate tensions and help bridge the diplomatic divide between Iran and the United States.
A source briefed on Monday’s meeting told Iran’s Tasnim news agency that a framework regarding routes through the strait between Iran and Oman will be presented, but the waterway will not reopen unless the United States meets Tehran’s conditions.
Iran seeks international recognition of its control over the Strait of Hormuz, which would permit it to levy fees on transiting vessels—a position Washington rejects. Oman, controlling the strait’s opposite bank, states it is negotiating with the consensus of other regional states.
What Is the Current Situation at the Strait of Hormuz?
The status of the Strait of Hormuz remains contested and restricted over six months into the US and Israeli conflict with Iran.
Iran maintains strict restrictions, considering the strait largely closed or tightly controlled amid the ongoing conflict.
Tehran has also pushed to formalize its control over the waterway, including potentially charging tolls, and has been negotiating with Muscat, given that Oman’s territorial waters also encompass the strait.
Tehran has also insisted that normal transit will not resume until the United States lifts naval blockades on Iranian ports and removes sanctions.
Prior to the late-February strikes by the US and Israel that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the strait was freely accessible to shipping from all nations.
Daily shipping traffic through the strait has plummeted by approximately 95 percent since the war began, dropping from a pre-war average of 130–140 vessels per day to merely five to seven.
However, US President Donald Trump has stated that the waterway is under total US control.
Meanwhile, on Sunday, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) reported that a vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while transiting the strait.
In a separate incident on Sunday, Qeshm Governor Hossein Amir Teymouri told Iranian state broadcaster IRIB that at least one person was killed and four others wounded in an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel near Hengam Island and the Shib Deraz coast of Qeshm Island.
Teymouri characterized the incident as an attack by the “US terrorist enemy.”
A senior Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy official has also warned US naval vessels against approaching the strait, challenging Trump’s assertions of US control.
“If the Strait of Hormuz is under American control, then go ahead and bring one of your warships within 100km [62 miles],” the deputy political commander of the IRGC Navy said, according to Iran’s Fars news agency.
He stated that US forces are aware that any vessels approaching the area would face a response from Iranian forces, noting that similar incidents have occurred recently.
The United States has yet to comment on the incident.