Iran announced it will hold a summit with Iraq and several Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations in Oman on Monday to address the ongoing blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The meeting aims to ease diplomatic tensions with the United States and discuss regional security arrangements, even as global energy supplies remain disrupted by the closure of the critical waterway.
The Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the gathering is designed to “promote better understanding among the countries of the region and help strengthen shared regional security.” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei described the initiative as a demonstration of Iran’s goodwill, emphasizing that regional security should be managed by local nations without outside interference.
However, Bahrain has officially declined to participate. The Kingdom cited recent Iranian attacks on its infrastructure, noting that it has suffered disproportionately since the US and Israel launched military operations against Iran in February. In a statement on Saturday, Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry declared it would not engage in “a policy of appeasement” and insisted that the strait must remain open without discrimination or fees.
Bahrain further clarified that it will not join any collective dialogue with Tehran until diplomatic relations are restored. Manama severed ties with Iran in 2016 during a previous crisis, a move mirrored by Saudi Arabia, though Riyadh reinstated diplomatic links in 2023 while Bahrain has yet to follow suit.
During the talks, Iran plans to brief delegates on consultations with Oman regarding safe shipping passage. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned that an upcoming agreement with Muscat would not result in the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He maintained that normal transit cannot resume until the US honors commitments from a June memorandum of understanding and lifts naval blockades and sanctions.
Tensions continue to escalate in the region. On Sunday, at least one person was killed and four others injured when a commercial vessel was attacked near Qeshm Island. Meanwhile, daily shipping traffic through the strait has dropped by approximately 95 percent since the conflict began, falling from roughly 140 vessels per day to just five or seven.
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