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The Strait of Hormuz Crisis Iran has rejected UN-backed plans for the mass evacuation of ships through the strait of Hormuz, creating a new threat to the free passage of commercial ships through the strait. Iran's Rejection of the UN Plan The proposal, backed by Oman, was potentially the first phase of a broader Omani proposal to consult on setting up a new management of the strait based on voluntary fees and modelled on the Malacca and Singapore strait mechanism. The plan was aimed at evacuating hundreds of ships trapped in the strait. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) rejected the coordinates of two new temporary shipping evacuation lanes announced by the UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) in conjunction with Oman. The Impact on Shipping and Diplomacy Iran's intervention also damaged efforts led by Saudi Arabia to convene a conference to normalise relations between the Gulf states and Iran in a new proposed non-aggression pact. Shipping through the strait had been steadily increasing since Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding last week. As part of the deal, Tehran agreed it would make its best efforts to ensure full freedom of navigation was restored to the strait and no fees or tolls would be imposed for a minimum of 60 days. The Future of the Strait of Hormuz The strait has proved to be Iran's key negotiating lever and it does not want to weaken that lever while bargaining is still under way on lifting US sanctions, asset relief and the future of its nuclear programme. Mohammad Ghalibaf, the speaker of Iran's parliament and its chief negotiator, said the chokepoint would not return to the status it had prior to 28 February, the date of the first combined US-Israeli attack on Iran. Oman is eager that any proposal complies with article 43 of the UN convention on the law of the sea.

The Sudden Cancellation of US-Iran Talks Talks set to take place on Friday between the United States and Iran on implementing the 14-point agreement to end their war have been cancelled, Switzerland’s foreign ministry has announced. Background of the Talks The talks were set to begin in the tiny Swiss village of Obbürgen on Friday, two days after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that opened a 60-day window to negotiate a permanent understanding over Iran’s nuclear program, while getting oil traffic moving through the strait of Hormuz. The US Reaction The White House said the US looked forward to “beginning technical talks as soon as possible”, as it announced that JD Vance, who is leading negotiations for the Trump administration, would now not be travelling. Reasons Behind the Cancellation The cancellation of the talks came after a report from Al-Mayadeen, an Arabic language network that is politically allied with the Iranian-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, that said Tehran was delaying sending its delegation to Switzerland due to Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Lebanon. Impact on the Region The diplomatic back-and-forth over the planned talks adds to the uncertainty over ​whether a lasting truce can be found to a regional war that has killed at least ‌7,000 people, sent energy prices soaring and shaken global markets. Future Outlook Iran’s chief negotiator Mohammad Ghalibaf warned against any breach of the agreement, saying “in case of misconduct, breach of treaty and excess of the other side, We have no doubt that decisive respond will be given to the enemy.”