Explosions were heard near the Strait of Hormuz once again, shortly after a high-level meeting scheduled between Iran and Gulf nations to discuss issues concerning the strait was postponed at the last minute.

According to Reuters on the 14th (local time), Iranian state media reported that multiple unexplained explosions were heard in the Sirik region of southern Iran that day.

Specific details regarding the explosions or any resulting damage have not yet been confirmed.

This situation unfolded immediately after the foreign ministerial-level meeting between Iran and Gulf countries was postponed.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi stated in a post on X (formerly Twitter) at around 11 p.m. the previous day, "The regional meeting scheduled to be held in Salalah tomorrow (the 14th) has been postponed."

Initially, Iran was scheduled to hold a meeting with Gulf nations that day to discuss matters such as safe navigation routes in the Strait of Hormuz.

However, after the Iranian Foreign Ministry announced the meeting on the 11th, Bahrain declared its boycott, and projections emerged that Saudi Arabia's attendance was also uncertain amid ongoing pressure from Yemen's Houthi rebels.

An Iranian Foreign Ministry official told state-run IRNA news agency that the originally planned talks were postponed by a joint decision between Oman and Iran.

The official added, "At the request of some regional countries and through a joint decision by Oman and Iran, the meeting has been postponed to a later date," noting that an appropriate schedule for the talks will be determined in consultation with Oman.

As tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz escalate, vessel traffic passing through the strait has sharply decreased.

According to vessel tracking data cited by Reuters, only 14 cargo ships in total passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend.

Among them, 4 ships exited the Persian Gulf through the strait, while 10 ships entered the Gulf.

Consequently, the daily average number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend dropped to 7, falling to a single-digit figure in just a matter of days.

This is only half of the daily average traffic (14 ships) recorded over the previous 10 days.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)