Iran and Oman may soon reach an agreement on organizing navigation through the Hormuz Strait, reports The New York Times, citing American and Iranian sources:
According to officials familiar with the details of the agreement, under its terms, ships entering the Persian Gulf will move along a route close to Iran's shores and under its control, while ships exiting the Gulf will follow a route adjacent to Oman's shores:
Iranian officials state that no fees will be charged for the passage of ships. At the same time, a 'service fee' is expected to be established, which will be directed towards mitigating the environmental impact of navigation, ensuring the safety of cargo ships and tankers, and compensating the expenses of the servicing personnel. The revenues generated will be equally divided between Iran and Oman:
However, an American official familiar with the negotiations insists that the version presented by Iran is 'not accurate.' According to him, any temporary route proposed through the strait will not require Iran's approval or permission and will not imply any fee collection:
Meanwhile, Iranian officials have emphasized that regardless of any agreement, the Hormuz Strait will remain closed as long as the U.S. has not lifted the maritime blockade on Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf and both countries have not returned to the 14-point program outlined in the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran:
According to Iranian representatives, the agreement being developed with Oman aims to secure Tehran's ability to control the Hormuz Strait and maintain the strategic leverage that the country did not utilize before the war:
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly stated that the Hormuz Strait must remain an open international waterway, as it was before the strikes against Iran by the U.S. and Israel:
