Iranian Foreign Ministry: Hormuz Strait Added to Negotiations, Each Issue Has Complexities

Iran's Foreign Ministry confirmed Saturday that the Strait of Hormuz has been added to the agenda of ongoing diplomatic negotiations, acknowledging that the inclusion of new issues brings with it layers of complexity that parties must carefully navigate to reach any durable agreement.

Spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, in remarks broadcast by Al-Araby Television, said that each topic introduced into the talks carries its own distinct set of challenges and that Iranian diplomats are approaching the expanded agenda with both seriousness and caution. He did not specify which countries are currently party to the Hormuz discussions, but the statement signals a broadening of negotiations that had previously focused primarily on Iran's nuclear programme.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most strategically critical waterways, through which an estimated 20 percent of global oil trade passes daily. For Gulf states, including Qatar, any instability in the strait carries immediate economic consequences. Qatar exports the majority of its liquefied natural gas through the strait, and disruption — even temporary — would reverberate through global energy markets already sensitive to regional tensions.

Doha has consistently advocated for diplomatic solutions to the standoff between Tehran and Western powers, viewing escalation in the Gulf as a direct threat to regional trade, energy infrastructure, and the security architecture that underpins the Gulf Cooperation Council. Qatar maintains working diplomatic channels with Iran and has previously played a quiet mediating role in back-channel communications between Tehran and Washington.

The announcement comes at a moment of heightened diplomatic activity surrounding Iran. Talks between Iranian and American delegations in Oman last week were described by both sides as constructive, though no breakthrough on the nuclear file has been announced. The addition of Hormuz to the negotiating table suggests Tehran may be seeking a broader strategic settlement rather than a narrow nuclear deal.

Analysts caution that incorporating the strait into formal negotiations could either open a path toward a comprehensive regional security arrangement or, if mishandled, introduce new flashpoints. Iran has previously threatened to close the strait in response to Western sanctions or military pressure, a move that would trigger an immediate crisis for all Gulf energy exporters.

For Qatar and its Gulf neighbours, the stakes extend beyond oil flows. The GCC's collective security depends on freedom of navigation in the strait, and Doha will be closely monitoring how these expanded talks develop. Diplomatic sources in the region say Gulf governments have been briefed on the broad contours of the Oman dialogue, though they are not formal participants in the current round of negotiations.