YEREVAN, July 3. /ARKA/. Several European countries believe that it will be impossible to avoid the introduction of tolls for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported by Bloomberg, citing sources, as conveyed by Finmarket.
"Some European countries are now accepting the prospect that ships passing through the crucial Strait of Hormuz will have to pay Iran and Oman, said sources familiar with the matter," the agency reports.
Its interlocutors clarified that officials from some Gulf countries share this view in private conversations.
At the same time, European countries are trying to pressure Iran and Oman to charge fees on an equal basis, without discrimination against specific states.
The authorities of Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, and Kuwait declined to comment on the information. The government of Bahrain stated that it does not accept any tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. However, agency sources noted that regional countries are expressing a desire to ease objections to a possible payment system in order to help de-escalate the situation.
According to the agency, Oman is currently studying the practice of voluntary payments for passing through the Malacca Strait, the situation of which is monitored by Singapore, Indonesia, and Malaysia. However, it is unclear whether Iran will agree to a system of voluntary contributions.
Earlier, Axios, citing an American official, reported that the U.S. in discussions with Iran argues that Tehran could receive more funds through the full implementation of a memorandum between the two countries than through possible tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
