Guardian published a report by diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour stating that the Sultanate of Oman is resisting US pressure to sever its ties with Iran over the Strait of Hormuz. The neutral sultanate has maintained that its relations are limited to the legal administration of the waterway, a position that has failed to convince Washington.
Oman also insists that it has only negotiated with Tehran regarding a future management system for the Strait of Hormuz that complies with international law. The aim is to implement any such system after consultation with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a UN agency.
Wintour said that Oman, a long-standing ally of the United States, has long played the role of an informal mediator, allowing it to remain neutral in conflicts that have led to tensions in other parts of the Gulf.
However, the Sultanate's neutrality has limits, as it strongly criticizes Israel's disregard for international law, and on Wednesday issued a statement condemning the Iranian attacks on Bahrain and Kuwait.
In a brief exchange, President Donald Trump threatened to bomb Oman because of its relationship with Iran. In his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed U.S. suspicions regarding Oman. He stated, “There is no country on Earth, with the exception of Iran—and perhaps Oman, which has grown close to it—that supports what Iran is doing in the Straits.”
Wintour says Oman has been trying hard to avoid getting into a formal dispute with Trump, but in phone calls with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bisent and meetings within the State Department, Oman’s ambassador to Washington, Talal bin Sulaiman al-Rahbi, last week tried to reassure the United States that the sultanate opposes the tariff system and will abide by the principle of freedom of navigation.
Iran had announced that, as part of any agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, it was prepared to guarantee a return of shipping traffic to pre-war levels within a month.
Iran has also established its own authority, the “Persian Gulf Strait Authority,” which is currently under sanctions from the US Treasury Department and requires ships to obtain permission from it to transit the Strait of Hormuz. To ensure its plan complies with international law and is more acceptable to Oman, Iran proposes imposing non-discriminatory fees on transiting vessels.
Arman Khorsand, head of the Center for International Affairs and Environmental Agreements at Iran’s Department of Environment, said this week: “The issue is not about imposing fees on ships simply for passing through the Strait. The goal is to secure the necessary resources to address environmental damage and compensate for the consequences of actions that undermined the principle of freedom of navigation.” He added that “the military operations carried out in the region have not only caused security and humanitarian consequences, but also enormous environmental costs.”
He said that, based on widely recognized principles of international law, those responsible for causing the damage should bear the “costs of repair.”
Other Iranian commentators, such as Saeed Laylaz, urged the government to be very careful about generating direct revenue from the Strait, saying that this could lead to the formation of joint alliances against Iran, and that greater prosperity would be achieved by making it a zone of peace.
Ali Nikzad, the deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament, said that efforts are underway to merge three different bills to determine how the government's maritime regime in the Strait will ultimately operate, including whether it will be temporary.
The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Arsino Dominguez, presented a certificate to the United Nations Security Council on April 27, stating: “There is no legal basis for any country to impose fees, transit charges, or any discriminatory conditions on international straits.”
However, some Omani politicians have expressed support for imposing fees on specific and genuine services. Mohammed Suleiman Tamim al-Hinai, a member of Oman's Shura Council, stated that the Sultanate has always adhered to the principle of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz under international maritime law.
He added: “The Omani Minister of Transport had previously informed the Shura Council, and the Omani Foreign Minister also confirmed, that Oman respects international maritime law and supports freedom of navigation. Therefore, Oman does not impose transit fees on the Strait, but rather provides other maritime services such as protection, rescue and navigational support.”
Despite the Sultanat'sassurances that it does not support a toll system in the Strait or cooperate with Iran in it, the United States suspects that it is secretly working on a toll system indistinguishable from transit fees.
The Sultanate has been providing assistance to ships, including American ships, since the beginning of the war, by providing navigational guidance, search and rescue operations, and medical assistance to their crews.
In contrast, the General Maritime Services Authority (GMSA) is seeking to demonstrate that the new system is a recognized institution to which companies will adhere. The GMSA has published data showing that more than 300 shipping companies have applied for permits.
The main destination for departing ships was Asian countries, particularly China and India, while the main destination for arriving ships was the United Arab Emirates.
The US attacks on Iranian radars are aimed at depriving Iran of the surveillance tools it needs to consolidate its control over the Strait.
The U.S. Treasury Department said on May 29 that regardless of payment of fees, U.S. citizens are prohibited from receiving any services from the Iranian government, “including services related to ensuring safe passage.”
Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, coastal states may regulate passage through their territorial waters for reasons of safety, environmental protection and the marine system. They may also impose charges for specific services provided to passing vessels, provided that such charges are applied transparently and without discrimination.
The newspaper said that the Trump administration’s skeptical stance towards Oman began after statements made by its foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, on American television prior to the outbreak of the Israeli-American war, in which he appealed for more time to be given for negotiations.
Oman was mediating these negotiations, and Al-Busaidi said at the time that reaching an agreement was within reach.
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