Iran has proposed a temporary arrangement with Oman to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while a separate Omani proposal backed by Gulf states could give Tehran an unprecedented role in managing shipping through the strategic waterway.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Tuesday that Tehran had proposed a temporary arrangement under which shipping in one direction would pass through Iranian waters, while part of the opposite route would also run inside Iranian territorial waters.
Speaking to Iranian state television, Gharibabadi said Tehran had rejected an Omani proposal to divide shipping lanes equally between the two countries, arguing that such a plan would not address Iran’s security concerns unless long-term regional stability is achieved.
Meanwhile, a Gulf source and a Western diplomat told Reuters on Tuesday that Oman had secured support from several Gulf states for a plan that would allow Iran to collect voluntary transit fees from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, while ensuring that Tehran would not have sole control over the waterway.
The Omani proposals are intended to provide the basis for ending the disruption to trade through the strait caused by the US-Israeli war on Iran.
