Iranian FM Arrives in Oman for Hormuz Shipping Talks

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Muscat, Oman, on Saturday, July 11, 2026, for high-level talks aimed at ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz. The diplomatic mission follows a sharp escalation in hostilities earlier in the week that cast renewed doubt over a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the United States.

The latest round of fighting began after three commercial tankers, reportedly Qatari and Saudi, came under fire in the strategic waterway earlier in the week. The United States responded with strikes against Iranian maritime targets on Wednesday and Thursday, which Iranian officials said killed at least 17 people and wounded 115. Iran then launched missile and drone attacks against U.S. military sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Jordan. The exchange disrupted traffic through the strait, a chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of the world's oil supply.

Against this backdrop, diplomatic efforts intensified. A Qatari delegation held what an Iranian official described as positive de-escalation talks in Tehran on Friday, July 10. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also engaged in separate phone conversations with...