Source: Anonymous Oman Proposes Charging Transit Fee for the Strait of Hormuz to Iran, US Expresses Opposition

BlockBeats News, June 30th, according to The New York Times, multiple informed officials and diplomats revealed that Oman has formally proposed to the United States and Western allies a plan to jointly collect passage fees from vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz to support waterway security and operational management.

The report stated that the proposal partially references the operational models of the Strait of Malacca and the Singapore Strait. Regional diplomats stated that the proposed fees would be in the form of voluntary payments, but the Iranian side has mentioned that the payments would be mandatory. Currently, the United States has received Oman's proposal and has expressed concerns about the arrangement, indicating that further discussions with Oman will continue.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio previously stated that the U.S. opposes any form of charging for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, whether labeled as "fees, tolls, or donations," and believes that the pre-war free navigation status should be restored.

The report pointed out that the future management arrangement of the Strait of Hormuz remains a key topic of U.S.-Iran peace negotiations. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that Iran will soon commence negotiations with Oman to discuss matters including the fee mechanism and route adjustments.