Iran nears Hormuz pact with Oman as regional tensions stay high

Iran says it is finalising a Strait of Hormuz agreement with Oman as regional fighting persists. The draft deal could affect global energy flows while Sudan's war deepens fears for the Meroe pyramids.

In Short

• Iran said a joint statement depends on parties not obstructing talks
• The US blockade on Iranian ports could shape the final draft
• Around one-fifth of global oil and gas once crossed the waterway

Iran said it is in the final stage of drafting an agreement with Oman on the Strait of Hormuz, while two Israeli soldiers have been killed in Lebanon in the latest developments linked to the Iran war and the wider Middle East on Thursday.

In a separate development, the war in Sudan is threatening the ancient Meroe pyramids, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with preservation work at the site having completely stopped.

Iran Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei said on Wednesday that an agreement on the Strait of Hormuz with Oman, which lies on the other side of the waterway, is in the "final stage" of drafting. He said a joint statement would be issued "if certain parties do not obstruct this process", in an apparent reference to the US. The agreement is likely to depend on the US lifting its blockade on Iran's ports. The Strait is vital for global shipping and energy supplies. Before the war, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran in February, about one-fifth of the world's oil and natural gas passed through the waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf. On Thursday, attention remained on the US for the next development.

In Sudan, the conflict that began in April 2023 is threatening the Meroe pyramids, located about 200 kilometres north of Khartoum. The site has more than 200 pyramids built between 800 B.C. and 350 A.D. as royal tombs for the Kingdom of Kush, and is known for its angular architecture. The war has damaged many of Sudan's historical sites and museums, and UNESCO warned in April that cultural and historical sites were under growing threat. Archaeologist Mahmoud Suleiman said collapses are possible at Meroe.

The latest developments on Thursday centred on Iran's proposed Strait of Hormuz agreement with Oman, the deaths of two Israeli soldiers in Lebanon, and fresh concern over the growing threat to Sudan's Meroe pyramids as war continues to endanger heritage sites.

With PTI Inputs

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