Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani called for navigation in the Strait of Hormuz to return to conditions before the United States-Israel war against Iran. Speaking after a high-level meeting in Al-Alamein, Egypt, on Thursday, he said no party to the conflict should be able to “blackmail” another through the strategic waterway.

The Qatari minister said the consequences of the war had been severe not only for the Gulf region but also for other parts of the world. He said Qatar wanted the situation restored to its previous state and condemned all forms of threats and obstruction affecting the strait.

Oman said durable security in the Strait of Hormuz requires lasting peace in the region and rejected further escalation or conflict. Its foreign minister conveyed that position to his Japanese counterpart on Thursday. Iran, meanwhile, said an agreement with Oman on creating new shipping routes through the strait was nearing finalization.