Monday 23 / March / 2026
Muscat: Oman’s Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi has voiced concern over the escalating conflict involving Iran, warning of deepening global economic consequences while confirming that the Sultanate is working intensively to ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Whatever your view of Iran, this war is not of their making,” the minister said, adding that the conflict is already triggering widespread economic disruption and could worsen significantly if it continues. He stressed that Oman is actively engaged in diplomatic and logistical efforts to establish secure passage arrangements through the vital maritime corridor, a key artery for global energy supplies.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump took to Truth Social on Monday to announce that he would back off his 48-hour ultimatum — due to expire late Monday — for Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz or face massive attacks on its energy infrastructure.
In an all-caps statement, Trump cited “very good and productive conversations” with Iran as the reason for the pause. The US leader said he had instructed the military “to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period.”
Trump added the caveat that the pause remained contingent upon the success of talks that will be ongoing this week.
Meanwhile Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claim that discussions are currently underway between Washington and Tehran after the US President announced a pause to military strikes on the energy infrastructure of the Islamic Republic for five days.
According to a statement quoted by the Mehr News Agency, the Iranian MFA stated that the remarks made by the US President were an attempt to buy time for further US military operations and influence energy markets amid soaring prices due to the conflict.
“The US President’s statements are within the framework of efforts to reduce energy prices and gain time to implement his military plans,” the ministry stated, as quoted by Mehr News Agency.
“There are initiatives by regional countries to de-escalate tensions, and our response to all of them is clear: We are not the party that started this war, and all these requests should be referred to Washington,” it added.
Fars News quoted an Iranian security as saying, “There’s no direct or indirect contact with the US.”
