President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States (US) and Iran will hold talks in Qatar’s Doha on Tuesday. The confirmation comes following the latest back-and-forth strikes that started following Iran’s drone strike on a container vessel near Oman in the Strait of Hormuz.ย
“Iran has requested a meeting. It will take place tomorrow in Doha,” the 80-year-old Republican leader said in an all caps post on Truth Social.
The meeting has been called to discuss the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, which has been one of the friction points between the US and Iran. The Islamic Republic wants its hold over the critical waterway, while Washington insists that the Strait remains open.
Last week, tensions escalated in the Middle East again after a container vessel was targeted by Iran in the Hormuz, while it was existing. In response, the US targeted Iranian missile, drone and radar sites, forcing Tehran to retaliate. But “for now”, the two sides have agreed to stand down and ships can sail “freely”, an Americanย official told Axios.ย ย
It is not clear on who will lead the two sides, though.
The Hormuz remains crucial for maintaining the global supply chains, as nearly a fifth of the world’s crude passes through it. Under the peace deal signed, the two sides have agreed to establish a “hotline” to coordinate the traffic in the Strait, but it was not operative till Saturday, even though Tehran claimed that vessels are transiting through the Hormuz.
Earlier in the day, Iran said it held a meeting with Oman over Hormuz’s management. It is worth noting that Iran and Oman border the Hormuz.ย However, international law states that the two Middle East nations cannot generally block passage or charge tolls.
“During a trip to Muscat, the first meeting of the Joint Hormuz Committee was held,” said Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi on X (formerly Twitter). “While reviewing the current issues related to the strait, we exchanged views on the future management.”
Even as negotiations continue, experts believe that more incidents could likely happen in the Hormuz, as Iran wants to maintain its hold on Hormuz and continue taking its advantage. For Iran, “a drawn-out negotiation accompanied by controlled pressure in the strait can work to its advantage,” HA Hellyer of the Royal United Services Institute, a London think tank, told AFP.