Oman said Thursday that any agreements with Iran over regulations in the Strait of Hormuz will not include tolls, even as Tehran proposes imposing “service fees” on commercial ships moving through the waterway.
In remarks before the joint meeting between the Gulf Cooperation Council and the U.S. in Bahrain, Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi praised the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding and said his country is committed to restoring freedom of navigation through the strait.
“The Sultanate of Oman, as a littoral state of the Strait, assumes a special responsibility in supporting international efforts aimed at securing maritime navigation,” reads a state-affiliated media readout of his remarks. “This is in accordance with its responsibilities and obligations under international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.”
Mr. Badr’s comments come as Iran and Oman continue to negotiate over future regulations in the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and Mr. Badr discussed future shipping arrangements in the strait by phone Thursday, and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bager Ghalibaf traveled to Oman directly after talks with the U.S. in Switzerland this week.
Iran and Oman are reportedly discussing a framework agreement for the management of the strait under which vessels moving through the waterway would pay a fee for navigational and security services provided by authorities.
The memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran requires Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and impose no fees on commercial ships transiting the waterway for the duration of the 60-day negotiating period.
U.S. officials have routinely rejected the idea of allowing Iran to control the strait and have said charging fees would go against international law.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who also attended the joint meeting, reaffirmed Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz would be toll-free under any final agreement with Iran.
“You can call it a toll, you can call it a fee — whatever you want to call it, it’s a game of semantics. The reality of it is that no country on Earth has a right to charge for the use of international waterways, and that will never be an acceptable condition of any deal,” Mr. Rubio said.
Iran in early March blockaded the strait, through which at least 20% of the world’s oil travels, in response to U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. The strait’s closure created chaos in international markets, and reopening the waterway has been one of the U.S.’ key priorities.
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