Oman refuses to charge fees for passage through Hormuz

Oman has rejected an initiative proposed by Iran on jointly charging fees for the passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.

This was reported by the American publication The New York Post, citing a high-ranking official in the region.

"Contrary to the statement made last week by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), Muscat refused to agree to the collection of the fees," the newspaper quoted its source as saying.

It recalls that the situation around the Strait of Hormuz was discussed last Tuesday by the foreign ministers of Iran and Oman, Abbas Araghchi and Badr al-Busaidi, and several hours later an IRGC representative announced "that an agreement had been reached on each country's share."

Meanwhile, last week an American official told the publication that "the IRGC was in a hurry, since the terms of the proposed revenue-sharing agreement had not been finally agreed upon even in Tehran itself."

The New York Post concludes that Muscat thus managed to avoid a confrontation with U.S. President Donald Trump, who had threatened to "bomb the hell out of Oman" if it continued negotiations with Iran on control over the Strait of Hormuz.