Muscat, Sept. 14 (SANA)Oman’sEnergyand Minerals MinisterSalim Al Aufisaid Monday that disruptions in theStrait of Hormuzwere likely to be short-lived and the strategic waterway would reopen, stressing the need for stability over the medium term.

Al Aufi said current conditions highlighted the need to diversify export routes and explore alternatives, including through Oman or Yemen, Reuters reported.

His remarks came after a meeting scheduled for Monday in Oman between Iran and Gulf Arab states to discuss possible arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz was postponed. Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi said the delay was “in the interests of consensus,” while Iran said the decision was jointly made by Tehran and Muscat at the request of some regional countries.

Al Aufi said the sharp rise in oil and liquefied natural gas prices could not continue indefinitely and expressed confidence in Oman’s ability to maintain its oil and gas production.

Regional tensions put alternative energy routes under pressure

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains under pressure, with commodity vessel transits falling to single digits per day over the weekend, compared with a 10-day average of 14, according to preliminary ship-tracking data cited by Reuters.

Risks have also increased around the Bab al-Mandab Strait after Houthi forces reached the strategic Perim Island at the mouth of the Red Sea shipping lane. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia temporarily shut its East-West oil pipeline following a drone attack, adding pressure on a key route used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.