Strait of Hormuz May Impose Fees; NYT: Oman Proposes 'Voluntary Service Fee' Plan

Key News on US-Iran War

(CNA Washington, March 30, Foreign News) According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, despite public opposition from the United States, Iran and Oman are pushing a plan to charge fees for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The New York Times reported that if implemented, the plan would bring significant changes to the pre-war status quo of the Strait of Hormuz and highlight the unforeseen changes in the Middle East situation caused by the US and Israeli decision to attack Iran on February 28.

Before the outbreak of the US-Iran War, the Strait of Hormuz was an international waterway between Iran and Oman, where vessels from various countries passed freely, transporting oil and natural gas from the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world.

Subsequently, Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz during the war, causing energy prices to soar. Since then, Iranian officials have repeatedly announced their intention to charge fees for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iranian officials and regional diplomats revealed that Oman recently formally proposed a "service fee" charging plan for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz to the United States and its Western allies. Sources familiar with the US position revealed that US negotiators have received Oman's proposal and will discuss it with Omani officials.

Due to the risk of mines near the central main channel where merchant ships have long sailed, vessels have had to take alternative routes, one being a southern route near Oman and the other a northern route near Iran.

Sources revealed that the plan is mainly based on the models of the Strait of Malacca and the Strait of Singapore, where a private fund is responsible for collecting "voluntary donations" and providing safe navigation services. Therefore, the fees in the proposal are "voluntary"; however, another Iranian official insisted that the payment mechanism is "mandatory."

However, US President Trump stated as recently as last week that the idea of charging transit or service fees for vessels is "unacceptable," and it remains unclear whether the Trump administration is willing to accept the "voluntary service fee" plan.

Sources said that the US negotiation team highly values the alliance with Oman and is confident that differences on the technical aspects of the plan can be resolved.

H.A. Hellyer, a senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in the UK, said, "Even if it's called voluntary, before this war, the Strait of Hormuz was completely open, and now it is not. This is not Oman's fault; they never wanted this. All the trouble is the price Washington has to pay for launching this unwise war." (Compiled by: Chang Ming-hsuan) 1150701

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