Iran and Oman exchange proposals to manage Strait of Hormuz
econews. Iran and Oman have exchanged proposals regarding the future management of the Strait of Hormuz, as points of contention continue to exist between the two nations whose territorial waters border the strategic waterway.
Oman presented a proposal to Iran for a joint regional mechanism to manage the Strait of Hormuz with “voluntary fees”, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Under the Omani proposal, which reportedly has regional backing, Iran would not exercise sole control of the strait, an unnamed Gulf source and Western diplomat told the news agency.
Oman’s proposal is reportedly based on the Strait of Malacca, which connects the Indian and Pacific Oceans. There, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore ask ships that use the strait to voluntarily contribute to fund navigation, environmental protection, and search-and-rescue operations.
This proposal aims to contribute to ending the global disruption to trade caused by the strait’s closure in the US-Israeli war on Iran. Tehran, however, says the strait cannot go back to its pre-war status where shipping flowed freely,
In comments to Iranian state media on Tuesday, Kazem Gharibabadi, the country’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said Tehran rejects an Omani proposal for an equal division of transit routes between the two countries, as such a plan does not address Tehran’s security concerns.
Gharibabadi said that Tehran proposed to Oman that Iran would manage shipping through its side of the strait and Muscat would manage part but not all of the opposite lane.
