Muscat: The Sultanate of Oman has summoned Mousa Farhang, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Sultanate of Oman, to hand him a formal note of protest following the targeting of sites in the Governorates of Musandam and Al Wusta by unmanned aerial vehicles.
The note of protest was handed over by Shaikh Khalid bin Hashil al Musalhi, Undersecretary of the Foreign Ministry for Administrative and Financial Affairs, when he received the Iranian Ambassador in Muscat today.
Earlier, the IRGC Navy reported having been forced to fire a warning shot at a vessel after several ships ignored its instructions regarding navigation through the strait.
Describing the incident involving the trespassing vessel, the force said the ship had switched off its onboard systems, therefore, posing a threat to maritime safety.
Published: 11:01 PM, Jul 11, 2026
MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman and the Islamic Republic of Iran held talks in Muscat on Saturday regarding navigation on the Strait of Hormuz to ensure its safety and freedom in light of recent developments and their repercussions.
The two sides agreed to carry on with the talks at both the technical and political levels to reach agreements in accordance with international law.
The discussions were held by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, and Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Tehran: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi will travel to Oman on Saturday for talks on the Strait of Hormuz, state media said.
The visit „will be focused on the Strait of Hormuz and shipping safety“ and is „a continuation of the consultations that we started with Oman over the past one or two months,“ Iran‘s official IRNA news agency quoted foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei as saying.
Iranian officials privately told Trump advisers that they made a mistake in shooting at commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, that the attacks stemmed from an „errant“ sect of hardliners who are trying to undermine negotiations, and that they want to keep talking, senior U.S. officials said on Friday.
The White House wants the regime to publicly acknowledge its mistake, which the Trump administration views as a violation of the ceasefire.
President Trump has directed his team â led by Vice President JD Vance, the president‘s son-in-law Jared Kushner, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio â to continue negotiations.
The talks are to take place in Oman on Saturday.
This map shows countries, cities, towns, ports, airports, islands, and roads in the Strait of Hormuz Area.
âWhatâs different now, compared to the start of the conflict, is that Iran is striking vessels using the âOmani routeâ rather âthan targeting all vessels, which means vessels will increasingly turn towards the âIranian routeâ or transit dark when transiting through the strait,â said Xavier Tang, a senior market analyst at Vortexa.
Meanwhile, 22 Japan-linked vessels, including six large crude oil tankers, transited the strait to exit between July 7 and 9, leaving only four vessels in the Gulf, Japan âtransport minister âYasushi Kaneko told a news conference on Friday.
ran has reportedly targeted at least three ships in the Strait of Hormuz, jeopardising peace negotiations with the US.
Audio obtained by Fox News captures the Iranian Navy issuing a warning to vessels before the reported attacks.
âThis is the last warning; this is last warning; this is last warning. You are all in danger. Donât put your life in danger. You are ordered to alter course,â he said.
âDo so immediately, alter course, do so immediately, and use the south of Larak Island.
âIf you disobey, you will be targeted. Navy out,â the Iranians said before reportedly attacking.
Jul 7, 2026
Tensions are rising in the Middle East after Iran reportedly struck three tankers in the Strait of Hormuz within 24 hours.
The US has revoked Iran‘s authorisation to produce and export oil following the attacks.
The attacks threaten to derail negotiations aimed at ending the US-Iran conflict.
They also risk collapsing a recent agreement under which Iran pledged to halt attacks in the strategic waterway.
After that, an expanded talks session was convened with the participation of a number of ministers and senior officials from both sides. The discussions addressed various tracks of cooperation â including economic, investment and logistic domains â and explored opportunities for their development in a manner that supports integration, enhances the smooth flow of trade and opens broader horizons for practical partnership at both the bilateral and regional levels, as well as within the framework of Gulf cooperation among the GCC member states.
Omanâs Foreign Ministry has released a statement condemning Iranâs attacks on sites in Bahrain and Kuwait as well as on two commercial ships from Saudi Arabia and Qatar in the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement affirmed Omanâs solidarity with its neighbouring countries and said increasing military tensions in the region threaten Omanâs safety and security. It also said the attacks threaten global trade networks and energy supplies.
He said discussions centered on current developments concerning the Strait of Hormuz, as well as future mechanisms for managing the waterway within the framework of Article 5 of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding.
Oman‘s foreign minister Badr bin Hamad Albusaidi has said Muscat âdoes not support imposing transit feesâ on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, while leaving the door open to charges for optional maritime services.
Omanâs Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi has expressed support for Iranâs plan to impose âmaritime service feesâ on vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz.
In an interview with Monte Carlo Doualiya, published by Omanâs Foreign Ministry on Monday, al-Busaidi reaffirmed Muscatâs commitment to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
He clarified that Oman opposes any tolls on transit passage itself. However, the minister drew a clear distinction between transit tolls and legitimate maritime, environmental, and navigational service fees, which can be discussed voluntarily with benefiting states and companies.
Oman‘s foreign minister Badr Albusaidi has said Muscat remains committed to ensuring toll-free and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz following discussions with senior Iranian officials.
In a post on X, Albusaidi said there had been „constructive discussions on the recent Iran-US MOU, especially the Strait of Hormuz paragraph“. He added: „We affirmed commitment to international law and toll-free safe passage.“
The comments came after Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Ghalibaf visited Oman for talks on bilateral cooperation and regional developments.
Heâs launched strikes in seven countries so far this term â Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Somalia, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen â after also attacking some of those countries in his first term. That doesnât even count the strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean, which have targeted nearly 60 vessels and killed more than 190 people.
He has also threatened or left open the possibility of strikes against seven others this term: Canada, Colombia, Cuba, Greenland (which is part of Denmark), Mexico, Panama and now Oman. He also threatened Mexico and North Korea in his first term.
(today)
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei has condemned the US attack on areas near Iranâs Bandar Abbas, and expressed solidarity with Oman after âUS officialsâ threatsâ in a statement delivered on Thursday.
This follows US President Donald Trumpâs threats to âblow upâ Oman if it joins Iran in imposing fees on the Strait of Hormuz.
âThe Strait is going to be open to everybody,â Trump told reporters at the White House. âItâs international waters and Oman will behave just like everybody else or weâll have to blow them up. They understand that, theyâll be fine.â
Oman, a strategic partner of the U.S. for more than 50 years, has played a key role in efforts to mediate a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran.
(4 May 2026 16:12 BST | Last update: 2 hours 57 mins ago)
Iranian sources told MEE that Iranian intelligence had established the Emirati role in the attacks went beyond hosting US bases.
One official said: „Iranian intelligence believes the UAE also made some of its own air facilities available for operations against Iran.“ Abu Dhabi has served as an advanced platform for Israeli interests in the region, the official said.
He suggested this included „deception operations“ – false-flag Israeli attacks on Oman and at least one other country intended to look like Iranian ones.
Iran also believes that cooperation included the use of the AI infrastructure within the UAE to support data collection and analysis for US and Israeli targeting.
If Iran were to be invaded, the UAE would be treated as an aggressor, one diplomat told MEE.
That the UAE has gone way beyond its Gulf neighbours in supporting the US and Israeli attack on Iran, is down to one man, its President Mohammed bin Zayed, often referred to by the acronym MBZ.
The report did not specify what type of weapon had struck the building, but it came as the neighboring UAE reported air defenses were working to intercept Iranian missile and drone attacks.
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The incident occurred in the Tebat area of Bukha Governorate, which is in an Omani enclave hemmed in by the Strait of Hormuz to the north and UAE territory to the south.
(April 27, 2026)
Sources close to these diplomatic efforts told Al Jazeera that senior intelligence officials from several countries were present at the Muscat talks.
(April 24, 2026)
âThat was not in a serious context. We have never planned to collect such a tax,â Purbaya told reporters in Jakarta on Friday, putting an end to days of uncertainty.
Behind his response lies a deeper legal framework that governs the worldâs oceans.
Purbaya pointed to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, a cornerstone of international maritime law that enshrines the principle of freedom of navigation.
(April 8, 2026)
The legal picture is also complicated. Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, bordering states cannot demand payment simply for granting passage through a strait. They may, however, impose limited charges for specific services, such as piloting, tugging, or port assistance, provided these are not applied more heavily against vessels from any particular country.
Data showed the Kribi exited the Gulf and was sailing off Muscat, Oman, on Friday. During its journey, the vessel displayed âOwner Franceâ on its tracking system, a field normally used to indicate destination.
Shipping data showed the ship changed its listed destination to âOwner Franceâ before entering Iranian territorial waters, signalling its nationality to authorities. It had originally been bound for Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo.
Iran and Oman are reportedly drafting a protocol to monitor ship transit through the Strait of Hormuz, raising hopes of easing disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in the region.
According to Iranian state news agency IRNA, citing an official, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the framework would come into effect after the war involving the United States and Israel ends.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that no party has claimed responsibility for the recent attacks targeting the Sultanate of Oman, as authorities continue investigations to determine their source and motives.