Iran and Oman held talks over the weekend on the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for global energy trade, and both sides described the discussions as productive. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said technical and political consultations are ongoing and that progress has been made. The diplomacy coincided with a pause in U.S. airstrikes against Iran after 13 consecutive nights of bombing.
All reports agree that the talks took place and that negotiations continue. However, Middle East Eye, citing CBS News and regional sources, emphasizes that the U.S. bombing was intentionally paused to avoid disrupting the delicate in-person talks, with Omani officials having travelled to Tehran on Friday. In contrast, the South China Morning Post frames the talks in the context of the U.S. resuming attacks on Iran following a June memorandum of understanding aimed at ending the war. SCMP also specifies that the discussions focused on 'management' of the strait and mentions multiple rounds of negotiations, while MEE highlights that the diplomacy needs more time to reach a deal.
Only SCMP notes that the spokesman is Esmaeil Baqaei and provides the background of the June agreement. The reports do not conflict on any numbers or specific facts.