Oman has agreed to work with the U.K. and France to ensure the Gulf country's territorial waters are safe for navigation, the U.K. said on Saturday, as oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz pick up since the U.S. and Iran signed an agreement last month to reopen the crucial sea lane. "The U.K. and France also stand ready to deploy the wider Multinational Military Mission to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron. "The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for the global economy. Restoring safe transit for ships of all nations through the Strait is a matter of global concern," the statement read. France said it has deployed mine countermeasures to the Middle East, including two mine-hunting ships. "Accompanied by two frigates and a maritime patrol aircraft, these assets are ready to contribute, alongside our partners, to the full resumption of navigation and to ensure the safety of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz," Macron said in a statement on X. The U.K., France and more than two dozen countries said in May that they would support freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz under the Multinational Military Mission for the waterway. Oman's Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to CNBC's emailed request for comment Saturday. Iran warned against the U.K. and French move. "The Strait of Hormuz is not a theater for the military display of extra-regional powers," Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in a post on X. "The security of Hormuz lies with the coastal states; the crisis-makers will be held accountable for the consequences of their adventurism; this is a serious warning," Gharibabadi said. Situated on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, opposite Iran across the strait, Oman has been in joint talks with Iran on a new maritime security order, amid reports that the two countries could push to establish transit fees. Oman has said that any agreement will comply with international law, although the prospect of a financial system on a waterway that typically handles around 20% of the world's oil has sparked alarm. The Gulf nation has served as a key intermediary in regional crises and remains one of the few countries trusted by both Tehran and Washington, which is keen to ensure the flow through the strait resumes after it was blocked during the war, triggering a global energy crunch. The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik, met Starmer in London on Thursday. The two spoke about de-escalating the conflict in the Middle East and to "secure maritime navigation through the Gulf's strategic waterways", Oman's state news agency said in a post on X. The U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 to end nearly four months of war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and set up 60 days of negotiations to work out a permanent peace deal. Oil shipments have ramped up since...
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