European nations are evaluating new proposals that could introduce voluntary navigational fees in the Strait of Hormuz. The plans, which require the backing of the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO), mandate that any such tolls must not be compulsory. Britain’s Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy warned that enforcing mandatory tolls would be “disastrous,” though some of his cabinet colleagues noted that voluntary payment systems for specific services exist in other major waterways like the English Channel and the Strait of Malacca.
Geopolitical tensions remain high as the US president recently issued fresh threats against Iran over alleged assassination plots, declaring that “1000 missiles are locked and loaded and aimed at the Islamic Republic of Iran.” Amidst these threats, a potential framework for the strait, modeled after the Strait of Malacca, has been drafted by Oman alongside British legal experts. Oman, which controls most of the navigable waters in the strait and opposes compulsory tolls, has offered to send legal experts to Tehran. This comes as Iranian state media announced that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is traveling to Oman for talks on shipping safety and the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei, described the trip as a continuation of consultations initiated over the past one to two months.
Not all regional players are comfortable with the discussions. Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Majed al-Ansari, warned that granting Iran sovereignty over the strait in violation of international maritime law would mean “agreeing to be hostages to whatever radical element that wants to take over the strait at any time.” Within Tehran, divisions exist; a diplomat noted that some factions of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reject international maritime law following US military strikes in February, while other officials favor cooperation.
The Iranian embassy in London indicated interest in independent proposals from the Energy Policy Research Group, which suggests a transparent service fee within an inclusive regional framework rather than a crude transit toll. At an IMO council meeting in London, Omani delegate Khamis bin Mohammed Al Shamakhi reaffirmed that international law guarantees transit passage without mandatory fees. However, he suggested exploring voluntary arrangements for navigational support, environmental protection, and emergency preparedness. Oman’s model is based on the cooperative mechanism of the Malacca and Singapore straits, which handles over 120,000 annual transits and relies on voluntary contributions, particularly from Japan.
The diplomatic push follows intense military action, with the US striking over 150 targets in southern Iran to curb drone and missile attacks on shipping, and Iran retaliating against US bases in Kuwait and Bahrain. At the London IMO meeting, Russia and China blocked a resolution proposed by Gulf and European nations condemning Iran. Russia argued the motion ignored the root causes of the crisis, while China labeled it one-sided.
Diplomats are also navigating the aftermath of a ceasefire roadmap (MoU) signed last month by Washington and Tehran. Clause 5 of the MoU bound Iran to ensure safe commercial passage without fees for 60 days, with traffic fully reinstated within 30 days of clearing technical and military hurdles. While the IRGC navy claims it has fulfilled these commitments, the US disputes Iran’s assertion that it can dictate shipping routes or require permissions. IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominquez had briefly secured Iranian approval for a southern evacuation route for stranded sailors, but Tehran rescinded its consent. Despite this, US Central Command reported that since early May, US forces have assisted the transit of over 800 commercial vessels and 380 million barrels of crude oil. Currently, diplomats are trying to determine if Iran is forcing ships onto a northern route near its coast or demanding they seek permission from its Persian Gulf Strait Authority to use the southern route, while the IRGC navy insists that “foreigners have no role in this land or the strait of Hormuz.”
