DOMINANT ANGLE
Tehran denounces the postponement of the Gulf meeting as American pressure, claims its bilateral agreement with Oman on navigation, and prepares talks with Beijing, while ruling out its own responsibility in the collapse of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei claims the meeting of regional foreign ministers "did not take place due to Saudi Arabia's request", while an agreement on navigation routes has been "finalized" with Oman.
- 02
Preliminary data from Kepler cited in the press indicates that only 4 cargo ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz in one day, compared to 10 on Sunday.
- 03
The Revolutionary Guard's navy confirms the explosion of the supertanker "Algaya" after hitting mines in a restricted area south of Hormuz, and claims to have destroyed an MQ-1 drone west of the strait.
ANALYSIS
Tehran, Wednesday, September 16, 2026. The postponement, on Monday, of the regional meeting on the Strait of Hormuz is presented by Riyadh as its own request, but read in Tehran as a gesture under American pressure. The spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmaeil Baghaei, explained that "the meeting of the foreign ministers of the countries in the region did not take place due to the request of Saudi Arabia", while ensuring that Tehran and Muscat have "finalized their agreement on navigation routes" and will decide together on its announcement. Baghaei insisted: foreign policy and national security decisions "are not made based on a single factor", nor does a rise in oil prices dictate Iran's conduct.
On the maritime front, preliminary data from Kepler cited by the Iranian press shows a plummeting traffic: only four cargo ships crossed the strait the day before, compared to ten on Sunday. The Revolutionary Guard's navy confirmed the explosion of the supertanker "Algaya", which hit mines while trying to cross a prohibited zone south of the strait, and claims "intelligent" control over a Hormuz it says is closed. It also announced that it shot down an MQ-1 drone west of the strait. In the waters of Hormozgan, a drone attack on two fishing boats near Larak Island has left fishermen missing, according to provincial authorities.
On the economic front, an Iranian diplomat stated before UNCTAD in Geneva that the crisis in the strait is "the direct result of American-Israeli aggression" and the naval blockade, and that Iran should not be blamed for its global repercussions on trade, energy, and food. The conservative daily Kayhan goes further, calling for Tehran to target "all tankers in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman" for every Iranian ship hit. An analysis relayed by Khabar Online also judges that no Gulf country will accept Iranian dominance over Hormuz, and that the absence of Bahrain undermines the regional consensus sought by Tehran.
The postponement of the meeting also leaves the field open to Beijing: Tehran is preparing discussions with China on navigation modalities, in parallel with its channels with Oman and the United States.
SOURCES (6)
- Mehr News EnglishMEDIUM
- Khabar OnlineMEDIUM
- Asr IranMEDIUM
- TabnakMEDIUM