As military tensions between the United States and Iran persist over the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for global crude shipments, the littoral state Oman proposed to Iran a joint management plan centered on collecting voluntary tolls. Iran, however, rejected Oman's proposal to pursue equal partitioning of the traffic lanes, citing security concerns. Experts said Iran is demanding greater control of the strait from Oman and the United States, suggesting tough negotiations ahead.
On the 28th (local time), according to reports by Reuters and other major outlets, Oman conveyed to Iran a plan to establish a joint management regime for the Strait of Hormuz, backed by the support of Gulf littoral states. The proposal was modeled on the Strait of Malacca system, in which ships using the strait voluntarily pay expenses for navigational safety, environmental protection, and search-and-rescue activities. Reuters assessed that it has the strong character of a stopgap measure aimed at easing global logistics disruptions caused by U.S.-Iran military clashes. Foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council also held a virtual meeting on the 28th to explore ways to strengthen cooperation on freedom and safety of ship passage. However, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under the United Nations drew a line, saying, "No new route proposal has been formally submitted to the organization."
Iran immediately opposed Oman's proposal for joint management of the strait. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, said on state television that "a plan to split the traffic lanes equally between the two countries does not address security concerns." Gharibabadi counterproposed that "the inbound lane must be entirely under Iran's control, and only part of the outbound lane can remain under Oman's control." At the same time, he said, "If they (including Oman) accept this proposal, then we will move to the next step."
Iran maintains that it must retain full control of the strait on the grounds that U.S. military supplies pass through it. Earlier, Oman set its own U.S.-supported route without consulting Iran, provoking the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Paul Musgrave, a Georgetown University professor, said, "Voluntary contributions via the Malacca Strait model advocated by Oman amount to about $70 million a year," adding, "That is far from the $1 million per vessel Iran demanded as a fee."
The United States is taking a tougher stance than Oman. Its policy is that it can never accept a situation in which Iran holds control over the strait or imposes mandatory tolls. Reuters, citing a senior U.S. official who requested anonymity, reported the U.S. position that "the strait is an international waterway, and Iran cannot control or restrict the passage through it." U.S. President Donald Trump also said in a Fox News interview that "good talks with Iran are underway," but warned that "if negotiations break down, we will resume airstrikes." Pointing to Pickaxe Mountain near a major underground Iranian nuclear facility, Trump increased the pressure, saying, "If we do not reach a deal, we will remove it very easily."
Mediation states, including Pakistan and Qatar, are attempting to defuse tensions by presenting Iran with a 10-day truce plan. In contrast, Iran's Joint Chiefs of Staff is maintaining a hard-line posture, rejecting a compensation plan to use frozen funds proposed by the United States and warning of blocking navigation. Regional conflicts are also expanding. Yemen's Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile at a Saudi Arabian oil tanker, and drone attacks originating from Iraq continued. However, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke by phone with the foreign ministers of Oman and Saudi Arabia the previous day and stressed, "We must advance diplomatic efforts to build regional stability and resolve the instability in the Strait of Hormuz triggered by U.S. acts of aggression."