Oman has told European officials there’s no way of going back to the pre-war status quo with the Strait of Hormuz and transiting ships may have to be charged some fees, according to people familiar with the matter.
While Omani officials said they will always abide by international maritime law, they added there could be fees for services related to de-polluting the strait or h
elping ships navigate it, the people said, asking not to be named discussing private matters. It’s unclear if Oman said all these fees would be obligatory.
Oman is analyzing systems used for chokepoints across the globe, including the Malacca strait in Asia, said the people, an area where there are no mandatory shipping charges.
The US, Europe and Oman’s Gulf Arab neighbors are increasingly concerned the sultanate will set up a tolling or fee system with Iran for the Strait of Hormuz.
French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Oman’s leader, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, in Paris on Monday, as world powers step up efforts to ensure free passage through the strait continues.
The two leaders will “address the security of maritime routes, which depends on free and unconditional passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” according to Macron’s office.
Oman’s foreign ministry and its embassy in France did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Friday, the start of the country’s weekend.
A senior US official, who requested anonymity to discuss private conversations, said
that Iran had informed the Trump administration it is not seeking or receiving tolls, insurance costs or charges of any kind on ships transiting the strait and reiterated that the US president has stated Iran cannot toll the waterway.
Oman and Iran border the narrow waterway, one of the world’s most important for oil and liquefied natural gas cargoes.
Iran shut the strait by attacking and threatening ships from late February, when the US and
Watch More Image Part 2 >>>
Israel starting bombing the Islamic Republic. Western governments have said it probably mined parts of the area too.
With the US and Iran now in peace talks, Tehran is insisting it will jointly manage traffic with Oman.
Any fees for vessels could cost commodity traders and shippers tens of billions of dollars annually
. Governments including the US, UK, France, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have warned they would break maritime laws.
Oman is an ally of the US but maintains close ties to Iran. It’s sometimes dubbed the “S
witzerland of the Middle East” for its neutrality in geopolitical conflicts and was mediating between Washington and Tehran before their war erupted.
Muscat has sent mixed messages about the strait’s future. On Tuesday, it published a
statement with Iran in which they said they would discuss how to operate the waterway and the costs associated with that. Two days later, it signed a statement from
the US and Gulf Cooperation Council that “rejected any tolls, fees, or attempts to assert control over the Strait.”
“They said in the meeting and they signed on to the statement that said that there aren’t going
to be any fees or tolls, and so I think that’s good news,” US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said of Oman, while he was visiting Bahrain.
