Oman Proposes Toll Fee for Strait of Hormuz Transit
N.R. Finch
Oman has formally submitted a proposal to the U.S. to charge ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran co-driving the plan; a 60-day free-passage window under the U.S.–Iran ceasefire framework is about to expire, making the outcome a direct lever on global energy shipping costs.
What exactly is being proposed?
The *New York Times*, citing an Iranian official and four diplomats, reports that Oman has formally proposed a service fee on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The plan partly mirrors the Strait of Malacca model, where a private foundation collects voluntary safety-navigation donations from ships.
But Oman and Iran disagree on a critical point: a regional diplomat says the fee would be voluntary; Iran's official says it would be mandatory.
This means → the two sponsors of the same proposal read its core mechanism differently — the plan is far from settled.
Why does the U.S. object?
Washington has received the proposal and explicitly pushed back. Trump last week called a strait toll "unacceptable."
In May he threatened military action against Oman if it did not "fall into line."
Yet U.S. negotiators struck a softer tone, saying they value the partnership with Oman and believe the gap can be closed at a technical level.
In plain terms = the White House says "never," but the negotiating team is still talking — what matters is whether a compromise emerges before the 60-day window closes.
What does the 60-day free-passage window mean?
The U.S.–Iran ceasefire framework signed this month guarantees "free and safe passage" for commercial vessels — but only for a 60-day negotiation window.
The deal also requires Iran and Oman to open "dialogue" on how the strait will be managed once that window expires.
Iran's deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tehran's preferred option is a joint management framework with Oman; failing that, Iran would proceed with charges unilaterally.
This means → once the 60 days lapse, the legal basis for free passage disappears — whether fees are imposed, and by whom, hinges entirely on what the talks produce.
What are Oman and Europe each calculating?
Oman has long served as a neutral mediator between the U.S. and Iran. This time it is caught balancing between both powers.
Researcher Anna Jacobs of the Arab Gulf States Institute called the strait's future "an urgent national-security issue for Oman" — Muscat is focused on keeping Iran at the table over the long term.
European governments oppose the fee plan but have shifted their focus to ensuring it at least does not violate international law.
This reflects a quiet redrawing of red lines: the debate is moving from "should there be a fee at all" to "how can it be levied legally" — full prevention may already be off the table.
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