Oslo [Norway], May 19 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday held a telephonic conversation with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi and discussed recent developments related to the West Asia crisis.

Jaishankar, who is currently in Oslo along with PM Narendra Modi informed about the development in an 'X' post and mentioned that they both also spoke about the bilateral relationship between both countries.

'Good to speak today with FM Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi of Oman. Discussed recent developments in West Asia as well as various aspects of our bilateral cooperation,' said Jaishankar.

The development comes after Iran on Monday confirmed that it is in talks with Oman to develop a new mechanism for controlling traffic in Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier, spokesperson for Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmail Baghaei, said that the consultations aim to safeguard safe maritime traffic while protecting Iran's rights and sovereignty over the crucial waterway.

'The Strait of Hormuz is an important waterway for the entire world, and we have always worked to protect safe traffic through this route,' Baghaei stated.

'We continue to strive to ensure that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is carried out in complete safety. Iran and Oman consider themselves obligated to fulfil their responsibilities in this regard,' he added.

The spokesperson noted that Tehran had to take such measures due to the geopolitical tensions amid the conflict in West Asia with US-Israeli coalition forces.

He further stated that Iran and Oman are in ongoing negotiations to develop such a mechanism to achieve this goal, with an expert-level meeting held last week in Muscat.

'The military aggression of the United States and the Zionist regime against Iran caused us to adopt a new approach to defend territorial sovereignty. We are in continuous contact and negotiation with the Omani side to develop a mechanism that will achieve this goal. Last week, an expert meeting was held in Muscat, and contacts between Iran and Oman on this issue are ongoing,' he stated.

The Strait of Hormuz, linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, remains one of the world's most vital shipping routes for energy supplies. Meanwhile, Iran had announced the launch of a new regulatory body aimed at managing and monitoring operations related to the strategically important waterway, the Strait of Hormuz.

The top security establishment of the Islamic Republic, the Supreme National Security Council, reposted a post on X on Monday where it stated that the official X account of the 'Persian Gulf Strait Authority' (PGSA) is now operational. The PGSA introduced at the start of this month has been characterised as a new mechanism for governing maritime traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.

'In the Name of God. The official X account of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (#PGSA) is now live. Follow us for real-time updates on the Hormuz Strait operations and latest developments,' the statement posted by the official account of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority said.

The announcement signals the formal establishment of a dedicated body overseeing developments and operations linked to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most critical maritime trade routes for global oil and energy shipments. (ANI)