ALBAWABA - A top Omani official is set to head to Tehran on Tuesday to hold discussions over the future of the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed since the start of the regional war in February.
Iran's foreign ministry said Omani FM Badr al-Busaidi will visit Iran tomorrow to discuss a deal on a new way to allow ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei clarified that Oman's visit to Tehran will be a continuation of the "ongoing political consultations between the two sides, as two littoral states of the Strait of Hormuz, to help strengthen peace and security in the region."
Baqaei maintained in a statement, "The visit is aimed at strengthening Iran-Oman bilateral cooperation, and al-Busaidi will meet with Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to discuss bilateral and regional issues."
An Iranian flag flying behind a US Marine from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit during a verification boarding aboard M/T Wen Yao in the Gulf of Oman. Photo by SGT. JOSEPH HELMS / US MARINE CORPS / AFP
In the last couple of weeks, Tehran and Muscat said they are in talks to open a new route for ships to pass through the strait, which has been a key waterway for oil and fuel exports, but no deal has been reached yet.
Pakistani army chief Asim Munir left for Iran on Monday to hold talks with Iranian officials. Pakistan's Interior Minister Mohsin Raza Naqvi will also take part in the talks in Tehran.
