Oman Rejects Iranian Fees on Hormuz Shipping, Prompting Fresh Tensions

Oman’s foreign minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, said on Thursday that any future arrangement for the Strait of Hormuz will not include tolls or transit fees on ships. The statement came after a series of meetings with U.S. and Gulf representatives and was meant to reassure global markets and reaffirm Oman’s commitment to international law and the principle of free passage.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most sensitive shipping lanes, carrying about 20% of global crude oil supply and vast quantities of liquefied natural gas every day. Any disruption there, whether through military threats or attempts to charge passage fees, could send energy prices sharply higher and shake the global economy.

The declaration follows a tense period that included a temporary closure of the strait by Iran and then a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran that set a 60-day pause and established a joint Omani-Iranian working group to examine so-called maritime service fees. Oman said it would not allow such charges in future agreements, effectively taking away what Tehran had tried to use as leverage.

Al Busaidi’s position also backs the hard line voiced by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who said Washington would show “zero tolerance” for any attempt to impose payments in the strait, calling it a violation of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which guarantees free transit. The article says the move reinforces Oman’s image as a balanced mediator, close to Iran but also aligned with the United States and Arab states. It also reports, based on Arab accounts, that Iranian fire was directed at four ships near Oman’s coast after the statement.