Oman has set up a temporary shipping transit corridor in the Strait of Hormuz in co-ordination with the UN’s International Maritime Organisation without imposing any fees, it said on Wednesday.It came after the IMO said it was working to evacuate more than 11,000 sailors stranded in the Gulf due to the war caused by US and Israeli strikes against Iran. A ceasefire has been in place since April 8.The Omani Maritime Security Centre said the move to open a corridor was aimed at ensuring freedom of navigation through the waterway and supporting the global economy.The initiative was consistent with the initial agreement for further peace talks that the US and Iran signed on June 17. It would give vessels the option of using a temporary maritime corridor defined by co-ordinates issued by the IMO and Omani authorities."Ships wishing to transit through the corridor must co-ordinate with the IMO," the statement said. Oman would allow them to transit "without imposing any tolls", it added, citing the agreement.QuoteThe two sides [Oman and Iran] agreed to continue dialogue on this matter through a joint working group ... to reach an agreement on the future management of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the services to be provided in this regard, and the associated costs, in accordance with international standardsOman and Iran, in a joint statementUnder the pact, the US and Iran agreed to lift blockades they imposed during the war, with the American navy intercepting ships using Iranian ports in response to Iranian attacks on commercial vessels in the waterway.On Wednesday, Oman's Sultan Haitham held talks with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman on the US-Iran talks and the latest developments in diplomatic efforts to end the war and reach a final settlement to the crisis, Omani state television reported.During their meeting, Sultan Haitham stressed the need to advance these efforts to achieve security and stability in the region.Their talks came a day after Iran's top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi visited Muscat and met Sultan Haitham.During that meeting, Oman and Iran agreed to establish a joint working group to reach an agreement on the future management of navigation in the strait, they said in a joint statement.“The Sultanate of Oman and the Islamic Republic of Iran, as the two coastal states bordering the Strait of Hormuz, affirm their commitment to ensuring safe passage through the Strait in accordance with the relevant provisions of international law,” the statement said.Oman and Iran emphasised “their sovereignty and sovereign rights over their territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz”, the statement added.“The two sides agreed to continue dialogue on this matter through a joint working group between the two countries' foreign ministries to reach an agreement on the future management of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the services to be provided in this regard, and the associated costs, in accordance with international standards,” it said.“All arrangements related to the strait must fully respect the sovereignty and sovereign rights” of the two countries, it added.The strait is vital to energy exports from the Arabian Gulf. More than 20 per cent of global liquefied natural gas and crude oil passed through the waterway each day before the war between the US and Iran broke out on February 28.