Tehran, July 26: Iran and Oman held several rounds of technical talks in Tehran to discuss arrangements for safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said on Sunday that the talks were “useful and forward-looking” and progress had been made.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Baqaei said the talks were held on Friday and Saturday at the level of Deputy Foreign Ministers, during which, they discussed common principles and practical mechanisms for ensuring safe maritime traffic through the strategic waterway while respecting the sovereign rights of the two littoral states, Iran’s official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported.

Baqaei added that Oman delegation left Iran on Saturday. However, the two nations would continue the technical and political consultations.

When asked regarding the current situation about navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said that there had been no change in the status of maritime traffic in the waterway, IRNA reported.

The Strait of Hormuz links the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is one of the world’s most important energy corridors, carrying oil and liquefied natural gas exports from major Gulf producers to international markets.

The talks between the two nations come amid renewed tensions in West Asia following military exchanges between the US and Iran.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) said the United States’ naval blockade against Iran remains fully in effect, announcing that American forces have redirected multiple commercial vessels, boarded ships for verification, and disabled one tanker that allegedly attempted to violate the blockade.

In a post on social media platform X, CENTCOM added: “The US naval blockade against Iran remains in full effect. As of July 25, CENTCOM has redirected 12 commercial vessels trying to run the blockade, disabled 2 that didn’t comply, and boarded 2 to ensure total compliance.”

The US Central Command said that US forces earlier completed a verification boarding of the Comoros-flagged tanker M/T Charminar in the Arabian Sea.

Describing the operation, CENTCOM said: “Earlier today, US forces completed a verification boarding aboard Comoros-flagged M/T Charminar in the Arabian Sea, and the tanker is now continuing its journey.”

CENTCOM also announced action against another vessel, saying American forces had disabled the Mozambique-flagged tanker M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman after its crew allegedly attempted to breach the blockade.

According to the command, “CENTCOM forces disabled Mozambique-flagged M/T Lavine in the Gulf of Oman on July 24 after the crew attempted to violate the blockade multiple times and ignored repeated warnings. The ship is no longer transiting to Iran.”

The military command emphasised that US forces remain prepared for further operations in the region, saying: “American forces remain highly vigilant, focused, lethal, and ready.”

Tehran, July 26: Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi called on the EU to take “decisive” action against Ukraine’s targeting of an Iranian commercial ship in the Caspian Sea.

He made the remarks on Saturday in a phone call with EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, in which the two sides discussed the latest regional developments, according to a statement by the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Araghchi condemned the Ukrainian attack, urging the EU, UN Security Council, and international community to hold its “perpetrators” and supporters to account, according to the statement.

The two sides also addressed developments in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing the need for diplomatic initiatives to manage regional tensions, it added, reports Xinhua news agency.

In a separate statement, the ministry said it summoned Ukraine’s charge d’affaires in Tehran on Saturday over the attack, formally delivering a note of protest condemning the “hostile and criminal” act.

Earlier in the day, the ministry said the Ukrainian attack had caused the vessel to explode, killing a sailor and wounding another.

The ministry said Iran has never intervened in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, adding the strike could further “spread the flames of the war and insecurity in a dangerous manner.”

Also on Saturday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said his country’s forces had hit a Russian warship and vessels used for transporting Iran-linked military cargo in the Caspian Sea.

Earlier, the ministry said in a statement that the attack, carried out by the Ukrainian government, violated the UN Charter and constituted an “act of aggression.”

Iran has never intervened in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the ministry said, adding the strike could further “spread the flames of the war and insecurity in a dangerous manner.”

It stressed Iran will not hesitate to defend its national interests and security, warning that Ukraine will be responsible for the consequences of its “adventurism.”

Washington, July 24: US forces launched another round of strikes against Iranian military targets on Thursday evening (local time), marking the 13th consecutive night of attacks, said the US Central Command.

The strikes began at 6:45 p.m. Eastern Time and were intended “to hold Iran accountable and diminish threats from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to commercial shipping,” the command said in a post on X.

US forces have redirected 12 commercial vessels and disabled one from entering or leaving Iranian ports or coastal areas since resuming a naval blockade against Iran earlier this month, the command said in another post on X.

“Since resuming the naval blockade against Iran nine days ago, CENTCOM has redirected 12 commercial vessels and disabled 1 to prevent ships from entering or leaving Iranian ports or coastal areas.”

Earlier on Thursday, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said that it had stopped three oil tankers from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of which caught fire after an explosion.

“Three oil tankers, provoked and tempted by the child-killing American army, were trying to pass through the mine-laid route south of the Strait of Hormuz, but after one of them exploded and caught fire, the other two quickly turned around and turned back,” the IRGC said in a statement quoted by Iranian state media.

It further warned that any ship “deceived” by the United States and intends to pass without Iran’s consent “will suffer the same fate.”

On Wednesday (Washington time), US forces launched strikes across Iran for the 12th consecutive night.

Iranian state media reported that US missiles struck locations near the cities of Ahvaz, Ramshir and Andimeshk in western Iran, a power station near the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran, and killed two people in the town of Shalamcheh on the Iraqi border,

Earlier on Thursday, US President Donald Trump told US online media Axios that he is considering restarting major combat operations in Iran, including strikes that would be bigger than the Operation Epic Fury he launched on February 28.