RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan held separate phone calls with the foreign ministers of Qatar and Oman on Sunday and discussed the latest regional developments.
During the conversations, the Saudi Foreign Minister, Qatar’s Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, and Oman’s Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad bin Hamoud Albusaidi stressed the importance of continued coordination and consultation to strengthen diplomatic efforts to maintain security and stability in the region.
📞 | Foreign Minister HH Prince @FaisalbinFarhan held separate phone call with Foreign Ministers of Qatar and Oman. pic.twitter.com/hjBd7FXEpD
— Foreign Ministry 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) August 16, 2026
Iran, Oman reach agreement on Hormuz Shipping routes
Earlier on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that Iran and Oman have reached an agreement on a shipping route map for the Strait of Hormuz after weeks of technical negotiations.
Baghaei told Defa Press that Iran and Oman, the two coastal states bordering the strategic waterway, began intensive negotiations three months ago following the signing of the Islamabad memorandum of understanding on June 18 to establish safe navigation routes.
“Despite US obstruction, the talks have made positive progress over the past three weeks, and an agreement has been reached on the shipping route map,” the spokesperson said.
Resumption of shipping through Hormuz
The foreign ministry spokesperson stressed that the Iran-Oman arrangement was an independent agreement between the two coastal states aimed at ensuring the safe passage of ships through the strait, while preserving the sovereignty of both countries.
He said, however, that the full restoration of security in the strait and the resumption of normal commercial shipping depended on an end to what he described as illegal US actions, military threats and the naval blockade, as well as compensation for US breaches of commitments in the last two months.
Also Read: Iran, Oman Reach Agreement on Hormuz Shipping Routes: Tehran
The talks are part of technical negotiations launched under the Islamabad MoU between the US and Iran, which tasked Tehran and Muscat with developing a new navigation framework for the Strait of Hormuz.
While Iran and Oman have continued discussions on shipping routes, Tehran has repeatedly said any decision to reopen the strategic waterway remains contingent on the US fulfilling its obligations under the memorandum.
Trump warns to declare Hormuz as US territory
On Friday, US President Donald Trump said he would “finish defeating” Iran and “soon” declare the Strait of Hormuz part of US territory.
Trump has repeatedly said that the key energy waterway is under US control.
“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated — pretty soon I’ll be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States,” he said with a chuckle during a political rally at a police academy in New York state. “It’s true,” he added.
