BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 12. A planned meeting between Iran and Gulf states in Oman on Monday will provide an opportunity to discuss the Strait of Hormuz and other regional issues, but is not expected to result in a signed agreement on the waterway, a senior Iranian official said.
The meeting was reportedly initiated by Oman, which controls the southern side of the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has been negotiating with Muscat for months over arrangements governing maritime traffic through the strategic waterway.
Iran announced on Friday that it would participate in the meeting, although Oman has not officially confirmed the talks and several Gulf states have yet to comment.
Bahrain said on Saturday that it would not participate in meetings with Iran.
According to the Iranian official, the talks will cover the Strait of Hormuz as well as other regional matters.
Iran continues to seek an agreement that would allow it to collect fees from vessels passing through the strait. Oman opposes that proposal.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime routes and a major corridor for global energy supplies.
