International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez announced the suspension of operations to extract stranded ships in the region following an attack on an oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Dominguez said that the safe transit lanes proposed by the IMO are no longer considered safe and that a positive stance from Iran is awaited for the work to resume. "In coordination with Iran, we proposed the option of mine clearance in the Strait of Hormuz, we have no objection to the use of two transit lanes," Dominguez said.
The IMO Secretary-General emphasized that no country has the right to charge a transit fee in a strait open to international navigation and stressed that the Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway where all ships have the right of free passage.
New York Times: Oman proposes voluntary payment mechanism
The New York Times reported, citing IMO Secretary-General Dominguez, that the establishment of a voluntary payment fund for the Strait of Hormuz is on the agenda. The newspaper reported that Dominguez has held talks with Omani officials on the management of the strait and is seeking solutions within the framework of international law to the problems caused by the war.
According to the report, Oman has submitted a formal proposal to the US and its Western allies to establish this mechanism. It was stated that the proposal is based in part on existing models for maritime navigation safety and services in the Malacca and Singapore straits.
According to the draft, shipping companies are expected to pay a fee in return for maritime services in the strait. It was noted that US negotiators have approached the proposal with some reservations and will put the issue on the table in upcoming talks.
Omani Foreign Minister: The aim is a service fee, not a transit fee
Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi previously stated that his country is opposed to charging fees solely for transit through the strait, saying it would be illegal. In an interview with Monte Carlo radio, the minister stressed the need to distinguish between a "transit fee" and fees for services provided by states.
Al-Busaidi said Oman, like France, is calling for de-escalation and the implementation of agreement provisions. "We are doing everything we can to ensure that navigation in the Strait of Hormuz remains safe, sound, and free for all," he said.
The minister said Oman's dialogue with Iran is based on the principle that any agreement must remain within the limits of international law. Al-Busaidi recalled that although Iran is not a party, Oman is committed to the Law of the Sea Convention, and said that arrangements could be made on a voluntary basis for services such as navigation safety, water safety, pollution control, and emergency response.
Rubio: We oppose the commercialization of the strait
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to journalists in Bahrain last week, stated that they oppose any scenario aimed at the financial exploitation of the strait, whether it is called a "fee, tax, or donation." "We must return to the situation before this dispute," Rubio said.
Analysts, however, note that Iran's capacity to disrupt traffic in the waterway, demonstrated during the war, has become an indispensable leverage for Tehran. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also told state television this month that the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will no longer return to the pre-war era of free passage.
