Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said the meeting took place during a visit to Muscat, where officials reviewed current issues concerning the strategic waterway and exchanged views on its future administration.

“During a trip to Muscat, the first meeting of the Joint Hormuz Committee was held,” Gharibabadi said in a post on X, adding that both sides discussed the future management of the strait. He did not specify when the meeting took place.

The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime passage approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) wide between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most critical energy transit routes, carrying a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports.

The future governance of the waterway has emerged as a key issue in negotiations between Iran and the United States following the recent conflict, during which Tehran temporarily blockaded the strait.

Iran is considering introducing maritime service fees that did not exist before the conflict, while the United States has opposed any charges, arguing that the strait constitutes an international waterway.

Last week, Iran and Oman issued a joint statement saying they were examining future management arrangements and associated operational costs for the strait. Days later, Oman clarified that no passage fees were planned and announced a temporary maritime corridor near its coastline coordinated with the United Nations.

Iran subsequently maintained that the only authorized navigation route remained a corridor adjacent to its own coastline.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Sunday that attempts to establish alternative shipping routes could increase regional tensions.

The latest discussions stem from a memorandum of understanding reached between Tehran and Washington, which calls for Iran to engage with Oman and other Gulf littoral states to determine the future administration and maritime services of the Strait of Hormuz in accordance with international law and the sovereign rights of the coastal states.

The memorandum also provides for toll-free passage through the strait for 60 days following the signing of the agreement. Arrangements beyond that period have yet to be determined.

Iranian state media reported on Thursday that Araqchi made the remarks after an exchange with the Emirati delegation at the BRICS gathering, where divisions over the Iran war threatened efforts to issue a joint communique.

“I didn’t name the UAE in my statement for the sake of unity,” Araqchi was quoted as saying. “But the truth is that the UAE was directly involved in the aggression against my country.”

Iranian media did not specify the comments made by the Emirati representative that prompted the response.

The diplomatic dispute followed the UAE’s denial this week of claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he had visited the Gulf state during the ongoing Iran conflict.

Araqchi had earlier warned that countries “colluding with Israel to sow division will be held to account,” remarks widely interpreted by regional analysts as directed toward Gulf states accused by Tehran of covert coordination with Israel and the United States.

The Iran war began on Feb. 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes targeting Iranian facilities, prompting retaliatory missile and drone attacks by Tehran against U.S. bases and other targets across Gulf countries.

Iranian officials have increasingly accused regional governments of facilitating military operations against the Islamic republic, particularly states hosting U.S. military installations.

According to Iranian state media, Araqchi argued during the BRICS meeting that reliance on U.S. military bases and security cooperation with Israel would not guarantee the UAE’s stability.

“We must live side by side in peace, and this requires peaceful relations and complete understanding between the two countries,” he said.

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this week that the UAE conducted military operations against Iran in early April. Reuters could not independently verify the report. Western and Iranian officials have also said Saudi Arabia carried out multiple unpublicized strikes against Iranian targets during the conflict.

The growing friction between Tehran and Abu Dhabi has complicated diplomatic dynamics within BRICS, the bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa and several recently admitted members, including Iran and the UAE.

Iranian media cited Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi as saying there were “problems and communications” within the summit process because of the UAE’s participation.

The meeting in New Delhi was expected to focus on geopolitical coordination, trade cooperation and reform of global institutions, but the Iran war increasingly overshadowed proceedings as member states struggled to reconcile competing regional interests.