Gulf states back Omani plan for voluntary Hormuz fees as Trump warns Iran

DUBAI: Gulf states have backed an Omani proposal that would allow Iran to collect voluntary payments from ships using the Strait of Hormuz, opening a possible route to ease disruption in one of the world's most important energy corridors.

The plan would stop short of giving Tehran sole authority over the strait and would make any payments optional rather than compulsory. The arrangement is similar to the model used in the Strait of Malacca, where Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore seek voluntary contributions for navigation, environmental protection and search-and-rescue services.

The Strait of Hormuz handled about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows before the war. Iran effectively closed the waterway to foreign shipping after the United States and Israel attacked on February 28, allowing only its own vessels. A deal between واشنگton and Tehran last month partially reopened the strait, but that understanding fell apart in early July after Iran fired on ships using a channel it does not recognise.

Regional talks and competing positions

Iran has said it wants to manage the strait jointly with Oman, which sits on the opposite shore, and levy service charges on vessels passing through it. Washington, however, wants a return to the pre-war arrangement under which ships moved freely without payment, and says any mandatory fee regime would be illegal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi discussed the Strait of Hormuz with his Omani and Saudi counterparts on Monday, with Iran's Foreign Ministry saying he stressed the need for regional cooperation.

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