Iran and Oman say Strait of Hormuz shipping-route deal in final drafting stage, toll dispute with US unresolved
Iran and Oman say they're in the final drafting stage of a Strait of Hormuz shipping-route deal, per Iranian state media. It covers commercial shipping coordinates but wouldn't automatically reopen the waterway. Unresolved: Iran's proposed toll system, which the US rejects.
Iran and Oman say they are in the final stages of drafting an agreement covering commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian state media reported Thursday, according to Bloomberg and CNN. Both sides have reportedly agreed on coordinates for shipping routes through the waterway, but officials on both sides caution the framework would not automatically reopen the strait to full traffic. President Trump said Wednesday that "a lot of progress" had been made toward reopening the strait and suggested an announcement could follow, though Iranian officials say Washington still needs to meet unspecified commitments first. The central disagreement has not been resolved: Iran wants to introduce a toll or fee system for vessels transiting the strait, which international maritime law generally does not permit for international straits. The Trump administration is pushing instead for unrestricted commercial navigation, without Iranian fees or a requirement for ships to seek Tehran's approval. That gap matters for shippers and insurers weighing routes through one of the world's most heavily used oil corridors: even a signed framework would leave the legal terms of transit unsettled until the toll question is resolved.