Middle East diplomatic crisis

Diplomatic efforts around the Iran-driven Middle East crisis showed only partial progress in mid-September: Iran signaled it would formally present a deal with Oman for a temporary shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz at a planned Gulf Cooperation Council foreign ministers' meeting in Salalah, but Tehran made clear the arrangement would fall short of fully reopening the waterway, with Iranian officials retaining the right to decide which vessels may cross. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi framed the proposed GCC gathering as a confidence-building step, while negotiations over fees and other terms between Iran and Oman were still ongoing.

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As it ran

17 September 2026

• Trump claims direct talks with Iran: Is diplomacy picking up again? Al Jazeera

15 September 2026

• Iran’s top diplomat heads to China for talks as Mideast diplomacy falters South China Morning Post

14 September 2026

• Update | Middle East diplomacy falters as war spreads and Hormuz talks stall South China Morning Post