Iran has rejected an Omani proposal for joint regional management of the Strait of Hormuz, saying there is “no chance” it will succeed, in the latest sign of stalled efforts to establish new arrangements for one of the world’s most strategically important waterways, a senior Iranian official told Reuters.
The official said the United States and Saudi Arabia were pressuring Oman to move forward with what he described as “unrealistic plans” for the Strait of Hormuz. He added that only Iran and Oman have the right to determine the waterway’s management arrangements based on their respective shares, stressing that Tehran rejects any role for other countries.
The official also said that a 50-50 joint management agreement with Oman “would not serve Iran’s interests,” despite describing Oman as “a valued neighbor.”
He added that Iran insists the entire inbound shipping lane through the Strait of Hormuz, along with part of the outbound route, should remain under Iranian control. He argued that the southern navigation routes pose risks to shipping and said Oman’s level of authority should be proportional to its share of the waterway.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Tuesday that Tehran had proposed a temporary arrangement to Oman for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, under which traffic in one direction would pass through Iranian waters, while part of the opposite route would also be routed through Iranian territorial waters.
He warned that the strait would remain closed if Muscat rejected the Iranian proposal, adding that Tehran has never recognized the southern shipping lane adjacent to Oman’s coastline.
Gharibabadi said Iran had informed Oman that it no longer recognizes the existing Traffic Separation Scheme, arguing that the route, located roughly in the middle of the strait, lies mostly within Omani waters and no longer meets Iran’s security requirements following U.S. and Israeli attacks in late February.
The International Maritime Organization’s Traffic Separation Scheme is currently unusable because of mine-related risks and has been replaced by a northern Iranian route and a southern Omani route.
On Tuesday, a Gulf source told Reuters that Oman had presented Iran with a proposal for joint regional management of the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal includes voluntary contributions from shipping companies to fund navigation management, environmental protection, and search-and-rescue services, and is modeled on the joint management framework of the Strait of Malacca shared by Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
The proposal comes as the United States has insisted there would be no transit fees for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz under any future agreement governing the waterway. According to a U.S. official speaking to Reuters, both Washington and Muscat have rejected what they described as Iran’s “unreasonable” demands, while negotiations remain ongoing.
Source: Reuters
