Iran, Oman discuss Hormuz safe passage

MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman and the Islamic Republic of Iran held talks in Muscat on Saturday regarding navigation on the Strait of Hormuz to ensure its safety and freedom in light of recent developments and their repercussions.
The two sides agreed to carry on with the talks at both the technical and political levels to reach agreements in accordance with international law.
The discussions were held by Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, and Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Meanwhile, Iran warned that it would no longer be bound by a deal with the US aimed at ending the Middle East war if Washington's violations of the agreement continued, state TV reported on Saturday.
Referring to the deal struck with the help of Pakistani mediation, Tehran's UN ambassador said in remarks in New York on Friday 'that if the United States continues to violate its obligations under the Islamabad Understanding, Iran will no longer consider itself bound by its commitments under that understanding', according to a statement carried by state broadcaster IRIB.
No attacks were reported on Friday or early Saturday, however, and a senior Iranian source told Reuters a call between Iran, the U.S., Qatar, and Pakistan had been agreed and mediators were trying to arrange it for Saturday while Araqchi is in Oman.
CBS News ⁠and its UK partner the BBC both reported that US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner were expected to lead negotiations on Saturday with Araqchi. Iran's Fars news agency later cited a source saying no negotiations would take place until the US retreated from its positions.
The United States is demanding that Iran publicly state it will stop attacks on ships in the strait - and that all lanes will be open with no tolls through the waterway that carried one-fifth of global oil supplies before the war, the senior U.S. officials told reporters on Friday.
At least 17 people were killed in U.S. strikes on six cities in Iran on Wednesday and Thursday, the ​head of the public relations and information center at Iran's Health Ministry said. He said 115 people were wounded.
A written ⁠statement from Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei threatened vengeance for the death ​of his predecessor and father ​on Saturday, but added that it would depend not only on Iran but also on 'free people around the world'.
In the supreme leader's first public message since funeral ceremonies for his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, began a week ago, the statement read on state television said that ⁠vengeance was 'the demand of the nation' and 'must certainly' take place. — ONA, AFP and Reuters