Oman Rejects Iran Plan to Charge Ships in Strait of Hormuz, Citing International Law and U.S. Pressure
Oman has quietly rejected Iran’s push to jointly charge commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, undercutting a revenue plan touted by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard and drawing U.S. and Gulf pressure onto one of the world’s key shipping lanes.
Oman has quietly refused an Iranian proposal to start charging commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, blocking a plan that would have turned one of the world’s most important shipping chokepoints into a new revenue source.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps recently claimed that Tehran and Muscat had agreed to divide income from the waterway. Oman’s decision to reject the idea undercuts that claim and leaves Iran without the joint toll regime it had signalled.
Oman says charging ships to pass through Hormuz would violate international law governing straits used for international navigation. Under that framework, coastal states are not supposed to impose transit fees simply for allowing ships to cross between two parts of the high seas.
The move comes amid strong pressure from the United States and Gulf partners not to validate any Iranian scheme to monetise the strait. Washington and regional states fear that opening the door to even “voluntary” payments could let Iran gradually increase fees or tie them to political demands.
According to the same accounts, Trump has twice threatened to bomb Oman if it enables Iranian efforts to charge ships. Those threats add a personal and unpredictable element to what is otherwise a dispute over shipping rules and legal concepts.
The Strait of Hormuz handles a major share of global oil and gas exports. Any move that makes transit appear conditional, even if it is later abandoned, can raise insurance costs, complicate routing decisions and feed into higher fuel prices.
Oman’s refusal also shows the limits of Iran’s ability to claim control over the waterway. Tehran has invested in naval forces and has used tactics such as ship seizures and harassment, but it still needs Omani cooperation to give its initiatives broader legitimacy.
Key signals to watch include whether Iran repeats or escalates its revenue claims, any sign of increased Iranian interference with tankers, further public clarification from Oman on its legal position, and whether the Trump administration follows its threats with sanctions or security measures tied specifically to Hormuz.
Sources
- OSINT