Iran rejected a proposal by Oman to open a southern shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz and attacked a Singaporean vessel using the route on Thursday, forcing the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to abandon the plan. The incident underscores the intense competition between Iran and Oman over control of the strategic waterway, which Iran views as its chief bargaining chip in negotiations with the United States.
Iran's Maximalist Stance on the Strait
Under the memorandum of understanding signed with Washington on 18 June, substantive talks over Iran's nuclear programme do not need to start until the lifting of the blockade of the strait – something Iran is required to use only "its best endeavours" to achieve. Iran has adopted a maximalist interpretation, decreeing that it alone can lift the blockade and resisting involvement from other countries or institutions.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated at a news conference in Baghdad: "Any attempt to adopt new or separate arrangements from those currently being pursued by the Islamic Republic will only lead to further complications, delays in reopening the strait of Hormuz and an increase in tensions."
Oman's Alternative Route Plan
Oman, in coordination with the IMO, developed a plan to open two new shipping lanes: one in Omani waters overseen by the US Joint Maritime Information Center, and one farther north close to Iran. The central route had been closed due to mines. The IMO believed it had Iran's agreement, but the attack on the Singaporean ship led to the plan's abandonment.
Oman has crafted a long-term management system for the strait aimed at meeting international law and securing Iran's eventual support. The plan would ensure littoral states receive income from commercial shipping through voluntary contributions or payments for specific navigational services, rather than tolls. Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi explained: "We are not in favour of imposing tolls on passage through the strait of Hormuz, which is prohibited internationally – whereas service fees are legal."
Legal Framework and Diplomatic Efforts
Article 26 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea forbids payment for mere passage, but Article 43 permits user states and strait states to cooperatively fund maritime services. Oman's plan was developed with UK commercial legal advice and was discussed by the Sultan of Oman with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday. In theory, Macron and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer have a naval taskforce ready to police freedom of navigation, but the Sultan argued that adopting Oman's plan would make such a force unnecessary.
Iran's deputy foreign minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, held joint discussions in Muscat with Oman's minister of state for foreign affairs, Abdulaziz al-Hinai, a tacit acknowledgment that Tehran does not have sole decision-making powers in the strait's future management. However, the row over the southern route threatens to overshadow the search for a long-term solution.
