Oman has obtained the support of the Gulf states for a plan that would allow Tehran to levy voluntary taxes for the use of the Strait of Hormuz, writes Reuters, citing sources. This could be a way to stop disruptions in the oil delivery process, caused by the war in the region.
Iran has declared that it wants to administer the Strait of Hormuz together with Oman, which controls the opposite shore. Washington wishes to return to the pre-war situation, when ships could pass freely, without paying anything, and the White House considers that the imposition of mandatory fees would be illegal.
According to the proposal put forward by Oman, Iran will not exercise exclusive control, and the fees would be voluntary, according to news.ro. The system would be similar to the one in force in the Strait of Malacca in Asia, where Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore ask ships to pay voluntary contributions for the financing of navigation, environmental protection and search and rescue operations.
The Iranian Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, discussed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday with his counterparts from Oman and Saudi Arabia and emphasized the need for regional cooperation, according to a statement from the Iranian Foreign Ministry.
President Donald Trump, who abruptly suspended a two-week American bombing campaign over the weekend, in the latest strategic shift, stated that there are ongoing “constructive discussions” with Iran, but threatened to resume attacks if negotiations do not yield results.
Iran denies intending to resume negotiations with the United States.