Iran and Oman are moving forward with plans to collect payment for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, despite public American objections, The New York Times reports, citing an Iranian official and four diplomats with knowledge of the matter.
If enacted, the plans will be a significant change from the prewar status in the strategic waterway, underscoring how the US-Israeli decision to attack Iran on February 28 has changed the Middle East in far-reaching and unanticipated ways.
Iranian officials have repeatedly declared their intentions to monetise the strait.
Oman has recently delivered a formal proposal to the United States and other Western allies that outlined a plan in which shipping companies would pay service fees to use the strait, according to the Iranian official and a regional diplomat.
A person familiar with the US position has confirmed that American negotiators had received the Omani proposal and said that they had concerns they intended to discuss with Omani officials. The officials and diplomats cited have all spoken on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive diplomacy.
