Iran and Oman are negotiating a temporary mechanism to manage maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, under which Tehran would control the lane for ships entering the Gulf while Muscat would oversee the exit corridor, according to a senior Iranian source cited by Reuters and officials who spoke to the New York Times. The plan, still under discussion, would also introduce a ‘service fee’ — not a transit toll, Iranian officials insist — to cover environmental impacts, security for tankers and cargo vessels, and manpower costs, with revenues split equally between the two states. A US official familiar with the talks dismissed the Iranian account as inaccurate, stating that any temporary routes would not require Iran’s approval or authorisation and that no fees would be levied.

Viewed from Tehran, the arrangement is designed to cement a strategic reality that emerged after the war: Iran’s ability to control the strait, a chokepoint through which a fifth of global oil consumption normally passes. Iranian officials told the New York Times that the strait would remain closed regardless of any bilateral deal until the United States lifts its naval blockade of Iranian ports in the Gulf and both countries return to a 14-point plan outlined in the Islamabad memorandum of understanding. A foreign ministry spokesman, Esmail Baghaei, separately stated that the understanding with Oman ‘has nothing to do with reopening or keeping the Strait of Hormuz closed,’ blaming Washington for the closure and accusing it of reneging on its commitments.

In Washington, the emerging terms have drawn sharp resistance. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has repeatedly warned that allowing a single country to control an international waterway, impose fees, and attack vessels that do not pay would set a dangerous global precedent, undermining the principle of freedom of navigation that has underpinned global commerce for 150 years. Some Pentagon officials, current and former, are sceptical of the Oman-Iran arrangement, fearing it amounts to a capitulation, the New York Times reported, noting that the exit lane through Omani waters remains heavily mined, forcing ships to coordinate with Iran for safe passage. President Trump, however, has signalled optimism, predicting the strait could reopen ‘as soon as tomorrow’ and linking a first-phase deal on Hormuz to subsequent nuclear talks.

The negotiations, mediated by Oman, come as a cargo ship was struck by an unknown projectile near the strait, leaving one seafarer missing, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations. Qatar has confirmed ongoing diplomatic contacts with all parties. While Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said talks with Muscat are in their final stages, no final agreement has been announced, and the fundamental dispute over whether the strait returns to its pre-war status as a free international waterway or becomes a managed corridor under partial Iranian control remains unresolved.