Even as diplomats talked, warplanes continued their relentless work
In the shadow of ongoing bombardment, Oman has stepped quietly into the space between war and commerce, opening deputy-level talks with Iran over the fate of the Strait of Hormuz — sealed since February and carrying with it a third of the world's seaborne oil. The sultanate, whose own shores touch that narrow passage, is attempting what diplomacy often must: to hold a door open while others are firing through windows. At least nineteen people have died across Iran in a single day of American and Israeli strikes, and the damage has spilled into Kuwait, Bahrain, and the UAE, reminding the region that no neighbor stands entirely outside this conflict.
- The Strait of Hormuz has been closed since February, and every day it remains shut, the pressure on global energy markets and regional economies compounds.
- US and Israeli warplanes struck air defenses, missile systems, and petrochemical facilities across Iran within a single 24-hour window, killing at least 19 and wounding roughly 170 more.
- The violence has crossed borders — drone strikes hit Kuwaiti infrastructure, a fire broke out at a Bahraini refinery, debris damaged a UAE petrochemical plant, and a rocket struck an Israeli industrial zone for the third time.
- Oman has inserted itself as a rare neutral voice, hosting deputy-level talks with Iranian specialists to map out possible paths toward reopening the waterway.
- The diplomatic effort and the air campaign are running in parallel, raising the central question of whether any negotiated opening can survive the momentum of ongoing military operations.
Oman has quietly entered the breach, opening deputy-level diplomatic talks with Iran aimed at finding a way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow chokepoint that has remained largely closed since February, when American and Israeli forces launched their sustained campaign against Tehran. The sultanate brought in technical specialists from both sides to explore what officials called possible "options" for restoring passage through a waterway that carries roughly a third of global maritime oil trade.
The talks unfolded against a backdrop of unrelenting military action. In the same 24-hour window that Omani and Iranian diplomats were meeting, strikes killed at least nine people in Iran's southwestern Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province. A separate attack on a major petrochemical facility left five dead and around 170 wounded. Five IRGC fighters were also killed in strikes on the northwestern Ardabil province, with the Revolutionary Guard confirming the losses officially. Israeli forces reported destroying more than 120 Iranian air defense and missile systems in the same period.
The damage radiated outward across the Gulf. Drone strikes hit power and water infrastructure in Kuwait. A fire broke out at a Bapco facility in Bahrain before being brought under control. In Abu Dhabi, debris from air defense interceptions fell on the Borouge petrochemical plant, forcing it to suspend operations. In southern Israel, an Iranian rocket struck the Neot Hovav industrial zone in Beersheba — the third such attack on that site — raising fears of a potential chemical release.
Oman's role as mediator is not incidental. Its territory borders the strait directly, making it both a party with genuine stakes in the waterway's status and a credible go-between for adversaries who are not speaking to each other directly. That Muscat is actively engaged suggests some diplomatic oxygen still exists. Whether it is enough to breathe life into a negotiated opening, while the strikes continue, remains the defining uncertainty of this moment.
Oman has begun quiet diplomatic work with Iran to find a path toward reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that has remained largely sealed since February when American and Israeli forces began their sustained campaign against Tehran. The sultanate's foreign ministry held talks at the deputy ministerial level, bringing in specialists from both countries to explore what officials described as possible "options" for restoring passage through one of the world's most critical shipping lanes.
The timing of these discussions underscores the paradox at the heart of the current crisis. Even as Oman's diplomats were meeting with Iranian counterparts to discuss de-escalation, American and Israeli warplanes continued their relentless bombardment across Iranian territory. In the past 24 hours alone, strikes killed at least nine people in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province in the southwest, while Israeli forces reported destroying more than 120 Iranian air defense and missile systems. The scale of the air campaign has been methodical and comprehensive.
The human toll has been severe and scattered across multiple targets. A strike on a major petrochemical facility in southwestern Iran killed five people and left around 170 others wounded, according to Iranian media accounts. Separately, five fighters from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were killed in strikes on the northwestern Ardabil province, with the IRGC confirming their deaths in an official statement. The casualties span both military personnel and civilian workers at industrial sites.
The damage extends far beyond Iran's borders. Drone attacks struck power and water infrastructure in Kuwait. A fire broke out at a Bapco facility in Bahrain following an Iranian strike, though officials said it was eventually extinguished. In the United Arab Emirates, debris from air defense interceptions fell on Abu Dhabi's Borouge petrochemical plant, forcing the facility to suspend operations. An Iranian rocket also struck the Neot Hovav industrial zone in Beersheba in southern Israel, marking the third such attack on that location since the conflict began, and raising concerns about a potential chemical release.
Oman's position as a mediator carries particular weight. The sultanate's territory borders the Strait of Hormuz directly, making it both a stakeholder in the waterway's status and a natural intermediary between the warring parties. The fact that Oman is actively engaging Iran on reopening options suggests at least some diplomatic space remains, even as military operations intensify. Whether these talks can gain traction while strikes continue remains an open question. The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-third of global maritime oil trade, making its closure a matter of consequence far beyond the region itself.
Notable Quotes
Oman and the Islamic Republic of Iran held a meeting at the deputy ministers level in the foreign ministries of the two countries, with the attendance of specialists from both sides— Oman's official news agency
Following the brutal attacks of the American-Israeli enemy on the Moghan Plain, five IRGC fighters have attained martyrdom— Iran's IRGC, via IRNA news agency
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why is Oman the one doing this talking, and not someone like the UN or a major power?
Oman has always kept itself apart from the region's conflicts. It doesn't join military alliances the way Saudi Arabia or the UAE do. That neutrality is its currency. Iran listens to Oman in a way it might not listen to Washington or even a Gulf neighbor.
But if the strikes are still happening while they're talking, doesn't that make the diplomacy pointless?
Not necessarily. Sometimes you have to keep talking even when the shooting hasn't stopped. It establishes a channel, a way to eventually step back. The fact that Oman is in the room at all suggests someone thinks there's an off-ramp here.
What does "reopening the Strait" actually mean in practical terms?
It means Iran stops using its navy and missiles to block ships from passing through. Right now, they've essentially closed it as leverage—a way to raise the cost of the conflict. Reopening it would be a major concession, which is why it's being negotiated rather than simply demanded.
The petrochemical strikes seem designed to hurt Iran's economy, not just its military.
That's the pattern. You're targeting infrastructure that generates revenue and employs people. It's pressure—economic and psychological. The more you damage civilian industry, the more internal pressure builds on the government to negotiate.
And the strikes on Kuwait and Bahrain—is Iran deliberately hitting those countries, or are they collateral?
Some are likely Iranian retaliation for those countries' proximity to American bases or their tacit support for the campaign. Others might be spillover. Either way, it's pulling more of the Gulf into the conflict, which makes Oman's mediation even more urgent.