“During a trip to Muscat, the first meeting of the Joint Hormuz Committee was held.” That was the whole of Kazem Gharibabadi’s announcement, and it set the record for a body that now has to decide who manages one of the world’s busiest energy waterways.
Gharibabadi, Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, led the Iranian side. Oman’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the meeting on June 29, 2026, and named Sheikh Abdulaziz Al Hinai, an ambassador at large, as head of the Omani delegation.
What the two delegations covered
Oman’s statement was brief. The delegations traded views on how the strait should be managed in future and on ways to tighten coordination, “in line with the mutual interests and sovereignty” of both countries. They also looked at frameworks for cooperation on navigation and maritime services, starting from the fact that Oman and Iran are the two littoral states of the strait.
AFP reported that the talks follow the preliminary deal between Tehran and Washington to end the war in the Middle East. Both Iran and Oman claim sovereignty over the waterway, which is 30 kilometers wide and carries the Gulf’s energy exports. Iran blockaded it during the fighting.
Fees and technical talks
The sharpest open question is money. Iran is weighing new “services fees” for passage. The United States opposes any charge on the international waterway.
Gharibabadi said the two capitals reached “a common understanding” on how the strait would be administered. Oman, he said, “supports being involved in these arrangements as a coastal state with sovereign rights.” No figures, routes or fee schedule were released.
The delegations agreed to set up technical committees. “Beginning in seven or eight days, our experts will start their specialized discussions,” Gharibabadi said.
The meeting came after several days of mixed signals. Oman and Iran had sent conflicting messages, and Iranian rhetoric had hardened over alternative shipping routes.
Sources
- Iran says held first meeting with Oman on managing Hormuz
- Oman-Iran Committee on Strait of Hormuz holds first meeting
