Iran Rejects Oman Proposal for Joint Control of Hormuz Strait
Tehran wants to manage shipping on its own side, saying Oman’s three-lane plan does not address security concerns.
Iran rejected Oman’s proposal for management of the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic shipping lane that has again become a flashpoint amid the U.S.-Iran war. According to a Reuters report cited by CNN Indonesia, Oman offered a regional joint mechanism with voluntary fees, so Iran would not have sole control over the strait. Kazem Gharibabadi, Iran’s deputy foreign minister for legal and international affairs, said the proposed equal division of transit routes did not address Tehran’s security concerns. Iran put forward a counterproposal: shipping on the Iranian side would be managed by Tehran, while Oman would regulate some, but not all, of the route in the opposite direction. Al Jazeera reported that Oman proposed three maritime lanes: through Iranian waters, an international route, and Omani waters.