French President Emmanuel Macron is hosting Oman’s Sultan Haitham bin Tariq in Paris for the Gulf leader’s first official visit to France, with negotiations centered on securing a toll-free reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
The talks represent a critical diplomatic effort to normalize shipping conditions in one of the world’s most vital energy chokepoints after weeks of severe disruption.
The push for toll-free transit comes as markets digest conflicting signals regarding the corridor’s status.
While US President Donald Trump recently declared at the G-7 summit that a diplomatic agreement with Iran had been signed and that the strait would be fully reopened by Friday, on-the-ground reality has been starkly different.
Handelsavisen reported earlier today that Hormuz traffic has collapsed to just five ships following US strikes on Iran over shipping attacks, highlighting the gap between diplomatic announcements and operational security.
Oman’s role as a neutral mediator is pivotal in this phase of the crisis.