Iran says Gulf states to meet in Oman to discuss safe Hormuz shipping routes

Iran says Gulf states to meet in Oman to discuss safe Hormuz shipping routes Iran is planning a meeting of the foreign ministers of Iraq and other Arab states bordering the Gulf in Oman on Monday to discuss safe commercial shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said. Oman and Iran, which both border the Strait of Hormuz, have been discussing for several weeks how the crucial waterway will be managed in the future. (EPA Images pic)TEHRAN: Iran's foreign ministry said the country would meet with Gulf states in Oman on Monday to discuss the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which the Islamic republic has blockaded during the Middle East war."This meeting is intended to promote better understanding among the countries of the region and help strengthen shared regional security," the ministry said in a statement on Friday."Iraq and other littoral Persian Gulf states" will participate, it added.Iran has been at war since Feb 28, when US-Israeli strikes killed its supreme leader.Iran retaliated with attacks across the region and blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of world oil supplies previously flowed.More than six months into the Middle East war, the blockade continues to drive up oil prices, which soared past US$100 a barrel this week.Oman and Iran, which both border the Strait of Hormuz, have been discussing for several weeks how the crucial waterway will be managed in the future.The strait was free to transit before the war, but Iran now requires vessels to obtain permission and is considering a mechanism to impose service fees.Ships that do not comply are regularly targeted by Iranian strikes, while the United States periodically bombs the Iranian coastline to challenge the Islamic republic's control of the strait.