Iran and Oman have presented to the U.S.a proposal for the administration of the Strait of Hormuz that includes the joint collection of administrative fees by the two Middle East nations, four sources told NBC News.
Limited time: Save 25% on NBC News subscriptionGet exclusive reporting, live Q&As and ad-free reading.In a memorandum of understanding signed last month, the U.S.and Iran agreed ships could safely and freely transit the strait for 60 days and, after that, the administration of the critical waterway would be left to be defined by Iran and Oman in discussions with other Gulf states.
Omani Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi said in an interview earlier this week that Oman does not support imposing fees on ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz.But he drew a distinction between mandatory fees and voluntary charges to shipping companies for the maintenance of the vital waterway, in a manner similar to models used in the Strait of Malacca and Singapore.
Two sources familiar with the discussion and a regional source said the plan has recently been delivered to the U.S., but a Middle East official said that while the U.S.had been consulted on possible mechanisms for the strait, Oman has not delivered a formal proposal.
The new proposal for the future of the global commercial shipping route was first reported by The New York Times, citing an Iranian official and four diplomats with knowledge of the matter.One source familiar with the discussion said that U.S.negotiators have concerns about the proposal, but they intend to discuss it with the Omanis and believe the issue can be resolved.
“The American team values its partnership with Oman and is confident that it can resolve differences at the technical level,” the source said.The source emphasized that the Omanis have maintained their commitment to let shipping traffic pass without tolls and noted the proposal did not contain any mandatory tolls.
“President Trump has been clear that ...