Iran and Oman clash over how the Strait of Hormuz should reopen

Iran and Oman are now competing over a basic question in the Strait of Hormuz: who gets to decide how commercial shipping resumes.

Tehran is asserting that it alone should control maritime coordination and demining in the waterway, while Oman is promoting a service-fee framework for ships that would keep traffic moving under a shared safety model. The disagreement has turned the reopening of the strait into a diplomatic fight, not just a shipping problem.

The dispute is unfolding after days of violence and disruption in one of the world’s most sensitive energy corridors. The United States and Iran have agreed to pause strikes, but the shipping lane has not returned to normal and the broader standoff remains unresolved.

A fight over control

According to Iranian officials cited by AP, Tehran says demining in the strait is its responsibility alone and that no other country should claim that role. The Wall Street Journal separately reported that Iran is asserting sole control over maritime coordination in the waterway.

That stance gives Iran leverage over how and when the strait reopens. It also conflicts with U.S. calls for vessels to move freely through the passage and with broader efforts to stabilize commercial shipping after the recent attacks.

Oman’s proposed framework

Oman, which has long served as a regional mediator, is pushing a different model. Omani foreign minister Badr Albusaidi said Oman and Iran are considering service-related fees for commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Albusaidi said such services could include water safety, pollution prevention, navigational assistance and incident response. He also said Oman does not support imposing transit fees on ships, signaling that the proposal is meant as a safety and coordination mechanism rather than a toll system.

The Guardian reported that Iran is resisting multilateral reopening efforts and rejecting an alternate route proposal linked to the International Maritime Organization and Oman. That account suggests Tehran is wary of any arrangement that would dilute its influence over the strait.

Talks in Qatar

The shipping dispute is tied to a wider diplomatic track. AP reported that the United States and Iran would send delegations to Qatar this week, although Iran denied that direct talks were scheduled.

Iran’s foreign ministry said its delegation was going to Qatar to discuss the interim deal and frozen assets, not to hold direct negotiations with Washington. That leaves open the question of whether the two sides will meet face to face or only through intermediaries.

The Guardian said a recent memorandum with the U.S. means formal nuclear talks would not begin until the blockade is lifted, making the reopening dispute part of a larger bargaining process.

Why the strait matters

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments. Even short disruptions can affect energy prices, insurance costs and freight planning far beyond the Gulf.

AP said the recent attacks on vessels in the strait heightened tensions and drew retaliatory U.S. airstrikes. That has raised the stakes for commercial carriers, energy exporters and the Gulf mediators trying to keep the route open.

The immediate uncertainty is not only whether ships can pass safely, but whether there is any shared framework for deciding the rules. Iran wants recognition of its authority. Oman is trying to anchor the response in maritime safety and regional mediation.

The next decisions will show whether the interim deal can be implemented on the ground: whether the Iranian and U.S. delegations in Qatar meet directly, whether Oman and Iran formalize any coordination or fee mechanism, and whether shipping traffic resumes normally or remains constrained by security fears.