Muscat – H E Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, Foreign Minister, held telephone conversations with a number of his counterparts in the region to discuss the latest developments and ongoing efforts to reduce tensions.

The calls included Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar; Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah Al Saud, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; Sheikh Jarrah Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the State of Kuwait; Dr Badr Abdelatty, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Emigration and Egyptian Expatriates of the Arab Republic of Egypt; and Dr Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The discussions focused on ways to enhance opportunities for reaching practical, fair and sustainable understandings on navigation and the uninterrupted flow of supply chains through political and diplomatic solutions, in a manner that serves the collective interests of the countries of the region and all parties that depend on navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

H E Sayyid Badr and his counterparts also stressed the importance of ensuring the safety of navigation and restoring the smooth flow of trade and supply chains vital to the regional and global economy. They also emphasised the need to continue coordination and consultation in support of regional security and stability.

According to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, negotiations between Iran and Oman on the key waterway were held in Tehran on Friday and Saturday.

“There were useful discussions on how to manage shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” Baghaei said. “The situation in the Strait of Hormuz has not changed; it remains closed, and these negotiations have nothing to do with the US.”