Oman announced overnight that a meeting on a proposed de-escalation plan for the Strait of Hormuz had been postponed, dealing a fresh blow to diplomacy aimed at reopening the world's most critical oil shipping lane.
Iran said the delay came at Riyadh's request, while Oman itself did not specify a reason for the postponement. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said on X: "No talks until Iran's conditions are met." Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy declared in a separate statement: "The IRGC Navy firmly declares that the Strait of Hormuz is closed and still under our smart control."
The diplomatic stalemate followed a sharp escalation in combat activity. On Friday, Houthi attacks knocked out Saudi Arabia's east-west pipeline, cutting a key domestic energy route. In recent days, the Yemeni militant group captured the historic Red Sea port city of Mocha and took control of Perim Island at the mouth of the Red Sea.
On Monday, the Houthis said they fired dozens of missiles and drones at a military airbase in Khamis Mushait in southern Saudi Arabia, striking aircraft hangars, radar systems, runways and ammunition depots. Saudi authorities issued emergency alerts in the city and three other southern towns. Just before the attacks, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met U.S. regional commander Admiral Brad Cooper in Jeddah, according to Saudi state media.
U.S. President Donald Trump said over the weekend that he had spoken with the crown prince. Three sources told Reuters that Washington had resisted Saudi requests for direct military intervention beyond intelligence support. Trump also said the Houthis had contacted Washington asking the United States to stay out of the conflict.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard claimed the Panamanian-flagged oil tanker El Gaia had been hit by sea mines in a prohibited zone south of the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Central Command rejected that account, stating the tanker was struck by an Iranian missile last month and rendered inoperable. The United Nations' International Maritime Organization said the vessel was damaged on Saturday and noted two missing seafarers. Separately, the British navy-affiliated agency UK Maritime Trade Operations reported an unidentified vessel was struck by a projectile within the strait on Saturday, causing a fire and crew evacuation. Iran has compiled a list of 77 ships it says violated operating protocols in Hormuz.
Crude prices rose more than 4% on Monday before settling about 1% higher, reflecting renewed supply concerns. Traders said a prolonged shutdown of the Saudi east-west pipeline could cut roughly 4% of global oil supply. Before the war began on Feb. 28, the Strait of Hormuz carried about 20% of the world's oil exports.
The humanitarian toll continues to mount. The International Organization for Migration estimated that 82,000 Yemenis have fled fighting since the start of the month. Near Taiz, an elderly woman, Aisha Muhammad, said residents were trapped inside their homes. "They can't even go out to the market to get food and drinking water. They are being blocked and shot at," she said. "This is a trial from God." Saudi Arabia has led a coalition against the Houthis since 2015.
The postponement of the Oman-hosted talks leaves the strait's future in limbo at a time when any disruption carries outsized consequences for global energy markets.
