Oman says Strait of Hormuz will not return to pre-war status

Oman has told European officials that the Strait of Hormuz will not return to its pre-war status, according to a report by Bloomberg citing people familiar with the matter. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that while Omani officials stated they will always abide by international maritime law, they added there could be fees for services related to de-polluting the strait or helping ships navigate it. It is unclear if Oman said all these fees would be obligatory. The sources added that Oman is considering systems used in other strategic waterways around the world, including the Strait of Malacca in Asia, where no mandatory shipping fees are charged.

Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to enemies and their allies in retaliation for the US-Israeli aggression and then began asserting more control in reprisal for the US sustaining an illegal naval blockade of Iranian ports and vessels despite a standing ceasefire. Recently, Tehran and Washington agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at ending the war. The MoU was subsequently signed by the Iranian and American presidents. Under the MoU, Iran will make arrangements for the safe passage of commercial vessels, with no charge for 60 days only, from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman, and vice versa. The Islamic Republic of Iran has, however, strictly conditioned transit through the corridor on implementation of relevant coordination with Iranian authorities.

Earlier this week, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi, discussing new arrangements to manage the strategic Strait of Hormuz. According to Mehr News, the discussions focused on the future of the waterway amid ongoing regional tensions.