Iran in ‘final stages’ of Hormuz deal splitting control with Oman

Washington warns the reported Hormuz deal could undermine longstanding principles of maritime freedom worldwide.

By World Israel News Staff

Iran and neighboring Oman are reportedly in the final stages of negotiating an agreement that would divide responsibility for commercial maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by The New York Times.

If finalized, the arrangement would restore shipping volumes to near prewar levels but would also formalize a new system under which commercial vessels pay a “service fee” to transit the strategic waterway. The revenue generated from those fees would reportedly be split between Tehran and Muscat.

Before the outbreak of Operation Epic Fury in February 2026, commercial ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz without paying transit fees. Although the waterway is governed by international maritime law and lies in international waters, Iran has effectively asserted de facto control over shipping lanes during the conflict.

Since then, Iranian forces have repeatedly targeted vessels that failed to coordinate with Tehran or pay the required transit fees, dramatically disrupting one of the world’s most important maritime chokepoints. The Strait of Hormuz carries a significant share of global oil and liquefied natural gas exports, making any disruption to navigation a matter of international concern.

Efforts led by the United States to restore unrestricted freedom of navigation have achieved only limited success. A U.S.-led mission established to escort commercial vessels through the strait without Iranian approval has struggled to prevent attacks and deter Iranian enforcement of the new system.

Against that backdrop, a senior Iranian official told the Times that negotiations with Oman are nearing completion. According to the report, the agreement would see the two countries jointly administer maritime traffic while sharing the revenue collected from the newly imposed service fees.

Speaking recently at a meeting with Southeast Asian leaders, Secretary of State Marco Rubio cautioned that accepting such an arrangement could encourage other countries to assert similar control over international waterways.

“If we create a precedent in the Middle East where a nation-state can decide that they are going to control an international waterway, charge a toll and, if you don’t pay them, blow up your ships, we have created a very dangerous precedent, which will repeat itself in other parts of the world,” Rubio said.

“What is at stake here is not simply the issue of what is happening in the Strait of Hormuz; it’s a very fundamental principle about freedom of navigation,” he added, according to the Times.

Rubio further warned that “the rules which have underpinned 150 years of international trade and commerce are also threatened, and that cannot be allowed to happen.”