Oman, Iran call for talks to defuse regional tension

A phone call took place on Thursday between Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi, Foreign Minister and Dr Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
The two ministers reviewed the latest developments in contacts and discussions aimed at reaching practical, political and technical agreements leading to the unhindered resumption of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The two ministers emphasised the importance of moving from the stage of de-escalating tensions to establishing sustainable agreements based on practical arrangements to ensure the safety of maritime corridors, as well as joint technical mechanisms to secure the flow of international trade and energy, in a manner that ends the state of war and prevents the recurrence of confrontations in the region.
They also emphasised that these hoped-for agreements must be grounded in respecting state sovereignty, observing the legitimate interests of all parties, and creating appropriate conditions to restore paths of dialogue and negotiation, as well as addressing outstanding issues driving the escalation.
The two ministers agreed to continue consultation and coordination, and to support all diplomatic efforts aimed at consolidating regional security and stability.
On Wednesday, Sayyid Badr received a phone call from Dr Constantinos Kombos, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus. The discussion covered ties of cooperation between the Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of Cyprus, as well as the rapid developments taking place in the region.
OIL TANKER FIRE
Meanwhile, Iran's Revolutionary Guards and army said in separate statements, that five oil tankers and a tugboat caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
'Last night... a large oil tanker attempting to pass through the illegal passageway south of the Strait of Hormuz suffered a fire after striking a mine and was brought to a halt,' the Guards told Fars news agency.
'Another supertanker was halted by a massive fire while exiting the eastern Strait of Hormuz. A tugboat that had approached the supertanker to extinguish the fire also caught fire,' the Guards said.
The Iranian army later said three more tankers were hit by naval mines.
'Early this morning, a violating oil tanker — navigating through an unsafe area east of the Strait of Hormuz — caught fire and came to a halt after striking a naval mine,' the army said, according to the official IRNA news agency.
'Today at around noon, two more oil tankers struck naval mines and caught fire in the unsafe waters east of the Strait of Hormuz,' said another army statement carried by IRNA. — Agencies