Iran's Foreign Ministry says Iranian, Omani deputy foreign ministers meet on Strait of Hormuz management

Esmail Baghaei

Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmail Baghaei announced that several rounds of talks between Iran and Oman were held in Tehran on Friday and Saturday at the level of deputy foreign ministers on the Strait of Hormuz management.

According to the reports, the two sides exchanged views on common principles and operational mechanisms for managing safe maritime transit in the Strait of Hormuz, respecting the sovereign rights of both coastal states .

Baghaei described the talks as "useful" with progress made. The Omani delegation left -Tehran on Saturday evening, but technical and political consultations continue .

Responding to a question on the strait's current status, Baghaei confirmed that "no change has occurred in the traffic situation".

He said "the talks were useful and progress was made" and "technical and political consultations" between the two sides are still ongoing.

Certain sources claimed that American troops stopped missiles strikes against Iran as a result of the Oman delegations that were in Tehran. However, the more reality may be that the US central command has run out of weapons and ammunition. US has consistently request for a Ceasefire in the past week that iran rejected.

Another sources confirmed that CENTCOM chief Admiral Brad Cooper recommended halting US strikes around the Strait of Hormuz, saying the campaign had reached the limit of its effectiveness, Axios reports, citing two sources familiar with the matter

 Cooper’s recommendation, alongside advice from other officials, influenced Trump’s decision to pause strikes against Iran on Friday

 Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine warned that interceptor shortages could hamper efforts to protect US forces in the region


Iran halted its attacks after the United States stopped its strikes for the past two nights, Iranian army spokesman said on Sunday.


“Americans stopped their attacks over the past two nights. Since our strategy has been entirely retaliatory, we also stopped our retaliatory operations,” Amir Akraminia said.


The spokesman also said US officials appeared divided and lacked a clear strategy, citing remarks by US President Donald Trump and the actions of US Central Command.

“The US strategy is unclear even to the country’s own officials. This is evident in the remarks of US officials, particularly the US president, as well as in the actions of US Central Command,” Akraminia said.


He warned that continued US strikes would expand the war, saying the conflict had already spread to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. That is where the Iranian proxy in Yemen are full operation against Saudi Arabia.

A US Senator Bernie Sanders called on the Trump administration to negotiate with Iran to end the war, saying talks were needed to “stop the killing” and limit economic damage.

“That’s what we’ve got to do: Sit down and negotiate, and let’s end this war,” the independent senator from Vermont said on CBS’s Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.

According to Al Arabiya source, Tehran has confirmed to Pakistan its readiness to continue negotiations with the US in Geneva, Doha or Islamabad, a source tells

Iran in a message to Pakistan said the negotiations must continue in accordance with the memorandum of understanding, according to the source

Iranians are seeking the resumption of talks first on the Strait of Hormuz, then on its frozen assets, and finally on its nuclear program, the source added.


The Persians also informed Pakistan that iran rejects the creation of a new corridor through the Strait of Hormuz, the source added

American Biden, Russian Putin praise Geneva summit talks, Ambassadors to resume their post

Putin called the Geneva meeting as "constructive," and that both countries will begin consultations on cybersecurity and US and Russian ambassadors will return to their diplomatic posts.

After the less than four hours meeting, the presidents of the US and Russia have praised their talks in Geneva but have made little concrete progress at the first such meeting since 2018.

The two leaders covered an “extensive” amount of ground in their initial one-on-one meeting, which led to a shorter expanded bilateral meeting, according to a senior US administration official.

According to the US President Joe Biden while answering questions from reporters, disagreements were stated but not in a hyperbolic way, and he said Russia did not want a new Cold War.

President V. Putin of Russia said Mr Biden was an experienced statesman and the two "spoke the same language".

The talks lasted four hours, less time than was scheduled. Mr Biden said they did not need to spend more time talking and there was now a genuine prospect to improve relations with Russia.

The two sides agreed to begin a dialogue on nuclear arms control. They also said they would return ambassadors to each other's capitals - the envoys were mutually withdrawn for consultations in March, after the US accused Russia of meddling in the 2020 presidential election.

However, there was little sign of agreement on other issues, including cyber-security, Ukraine and the fate of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who is currently serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence in a penal colony.

Mr Biden said there would be "devastating consequences" for Russia if Navalny died in prison.

What did the leaders discuss?

Before the summit, both sides said relations were at rock bottom.

Mr Putin hinted at a possible deal on exchanging prisoners, saying he believed compromises could be found.

On cyber-attacks, Mr Putin brushed away accusations of Russian responsibility, saying that most cyber-attacks in Russia originated from the US.

Mr Biden said he told Mr Putin that critical infrastructure, such as water or energy, must be "off-limits" to hacking or other attacks.

The two sides differed sharply on human rights, including the right to protest.

Mr Putin dismissed US concerns about Alexei Navalny, who recently undertook a 24-day hunger strike.

He said Navalny ignored the law and knew that he would face imprisonment when he returned to Russia after having sought medical treatment in Germany. Navalny says he was poisoned with a nerve agent on Mr Putin's orders - an accusation Mr Putin denies.

He said Russia did not want disturbances on its territory comparable to the Capitol riots or the Black Lives Matter movement.

Mr Biden dismissed Mr Putin's comments about Black Lives Matter as "ridiculous", and said human rights would "always be on the table".

Asked why Russia would want to co-operate with the US, Mr Biden said it was "in a very, very difficult spot right now".

"They are being squeezed by China. They want desperately to remain a major power," he told reporters, shortly before leaving Geneva.

Putin described the Geneva meeting as "constructive," saying both countries will begin consultations on cybersecurity and US and Russian ambassadors will return to their diplomatic posts.

The US and Russia in a joint statement on Wednesday shortly after the summit between the countries’ two leaders, noting that “even in periods of tension,” the two nations share goals of “ensuring predictability in the strategic sphere, reducing the risk of armed conflicts and the threat of nuclear war."

"The recent extension of the New START Treaty exemplifies our commitment to nuclear arms control. Today, we reaffirm the principle that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought," the statement said.

 "Consistent with these goals, the United States and Russia will embark together on an integrated bilateral Strategic Stability Dialogue in the near future that will be deliberate and robust. Through this Dialogue, we seek to lay the groundwork for future arms control and risk reduction measures."