Oman-hosted Gulf nations meeting canceled for now as Yemeni war heats up

The meeting between Gulf countries planned for Monday in Oman has been canceled, the Foreign Ministry of Iran announced, as the war between Saudi-aligned government forces in Yemen and Houthi rebels escalates.

In remarks to the press on Monday, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the meeting had been called off due to “events unfolding in Yemen.” He added that the postponement is a missed opportunity to inform regional leaders about the emerging Iran-Oman deal governing the Strait of Hormuz.

“Saudi Arabia requested the meeting not be held for the time being. As for the discussions attributing this to the developments taking place between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, the truth is that this is simply pointing in the wrong direction,” Mr. Baghaei said. “Yemen’s problems have deep and longstanding roots. We in the Islamic Republic of Iran have always said and have demonstrated in practice that we are ready to help resolve these issues.”

He said fighting between Islamic nations only helps Israel, which seeks to “perpetuate tensions and insecurity.” 

The meeting in the Omani city of Salalah, announced last week by Mr. Baghaei, was to include foreign ministers from Iran, Iraq, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.

UAE and Saudi government sources did not officially confirm the meeting, indicating that neither nation planned to be represented at the summit. 

The talks were specifically intended to focus on the details of the emerging Iran-Oman deal outlining future control of the Strait of Hormuz. The two nations, which abut the waterway, have been holding regular negotiations for weeks to finalize the agreement. 

The deal, which has yet to be released in its entirety, allegedly details new and temporary shipping routes through the strait, which has been effectively closed since March. 

The meeting’s cancellation comes after a week of intense fighting in Yemen between Saudi-aligned government forces and Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the southwestern provinces.

On Friday, rebel forces surged across Yemen’s western coastline to seize several islands and coastal cities near the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, located at the southern end of the Red Sea. 

The new acquisitions are likely to give the Houthis more control over shipping in the Red Sea, which Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz.