Qatar, a key mediator in the stalled US-Iran talks, said Tuesday that an agreement between Iran and Oman over the Strait of Hormuz would make it easier to resume negotiations to end the Middle East war.
Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari said Doha's current efforts were focused on de-escalating the conflict, bringing Washington and Tehran back to the negotiating table and securing full implementation of an agreed ceasefire plan.
"What we are seeking is to reach an agreement on opening the Strait of Hormuz and a ceasefire at the same time," Al Ansari told his weekly press conference.
After war broke out between the United States and Iran in late February, Tehran effectively shut the strait, which normally carries one fifth of the world's LNG and oil during peacetime.
Iran and Oman, both coastal states bordering the strait, have for weeks been discussing the future of navigation through the waterway, with Tehran saying the geographical coordinates of the route envisaged by both countries "have been agreed upon".
"We are also awaiting an agreement between the Sultanate of Oman and Iran regarding the Strait, which would enable us to return to the framework of negotiations," Al Ansari said.
"The agreement over the Strait of Hormuz would make it much easier for us to resume the talks between the United States and Iran," he added, while saying there had been no new developments in the Iran-Oman negotiations.
A memorandum of understanding signed between the two sides in June effectively collapsed over management of the strait.
Earlier on Tuesday, Iran's top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the strategic waterway would not be opened until the United States meets Tehran's demands, including lifting a naval blockade.
On Monday, Iran said talks were "continuing in a serious manner" and views were being exchanged on the text of a "joint statement".
Tehran has been requiring vessels to seek permission and pay transit service fees, a move opposed by Washington and several regional countries. It has been hitting vessels that try to transit the strait without requesting permission.
US President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman if it "gets in the way" of a deal with Iran on Hormuz, and called for Tehran to surrender in a war that has become a growing political burden at home.
Al Ansari also addressed a separate dispute with Tehran over Iranian claims that Qatar was holding Iranian pilots, allegations Doha has categorically denied.
He said Qatar's search operations for the Iranian pilots ended on 6 April and that the remains of one pilot had been handed over after being recovered.
Al Ansari described Iran's claims as being for "media consumption", saying Doha had invited the Iranian side to review the search operations but that it had not attended.
"The invitation remains open to the Iranian side to review the search operations," he said, stressing that Qatar "cannot compromise its sovereignty".
Qatar has previously said the pilots entered its airspace and failed to respond to attempts to contact them, prompting Doha to take measures to defend its territory in accordance with international law.