Iran speaker says Strait of Hormuz should be jointly managed with Oman

Iranian officials said the Strait of Hormuz should be jointly managed by Iran and Oman, with Tehran consulting regional states including Iraq and detailing possible new service fees for transit. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said a recent memorandum of understanding with the United States had already stipulated joint management with Oman, while Iran’s ambassador to China, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, said Iran and Oman have formed a joint committee to design arrangements covering passage security, vessel supervision and environmental protection. Fazli said ships could face service fees rather than tolls after a 60-day free-transit period under the temporary Iran-US deal, and that China and other “friendly” countries may receive “special considerations.” The United States has said any final agreement must not allow Iran to levy transit fees. Because the strait carries about one-fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments in peacetime, any change to its management or shipping costs has broad geopolitical and energy-market implications.