At a meeting in Oman, Iran and Oman opened dialogue over the security of the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow passage through which a fifth of the world's oil flows daily — though an Iranian official was careful to note that no formal agreement would emerge from this first encounter. The talks reflect a quiet but significant recognition by both nations that the strait's stability is too consequential to leave unaddressed, even as the distance between their positions remains considerable. In the long arc of regional diplomacy, such preliminary conversations are often the necessary first steps befo