Oman has proposed a joint mechanism with Iran to manage shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, under which vessels would make voluntary fees for passage, a Gulf source said on Tuesday.
Neither Oman nor Iran has officially confirmed the report.
The source said the proposed mechanism draws on the management model of the Malacca Strait, where users make voluntary fees to a fund for environmental protection and search-and-rescue operations.
The initiative has received backing from some regional countries, though it remains unclear how Iran will respond, according to the source.
Iran, Oman and Saudi Arabia have called for intensifying joint diplomatic efforts to ensure the security of the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.
The issue was highlighted in separate phone calls Monday night between Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi and his Omani and Saudi counterparts, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi and Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, the ministry said in a statement.
The three ministers stressed the need to enhance cooperation and promote joint diplomatic efforts to ensure regional stability and "eliminate the insecurity imposed on the Strait of Hormuz as a consequence of the U.S. acts of aggression," the statement said.
Iran and Oman held several rounds of talks in Tehran on Friday and Saturday over the Strait of Hormuz, with the two sides making tangible progress, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Sunday.
Both sides had an in-depth exchange of views on the common principles and specific operational mechanisms for ensuring the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, based on respect for the sovereign rights of the two coastal states, according to Baghaei.
U.S. President Donald Trump said in an interview with Fox News on Tuesday that the Strait of Hormuz is under American control and that the naval blockade on Iran remains in effect. He said only vessels that the United States allows can pass through, and that Iran does not control the strait --the United States does.
According to data from the market intelligence firm Kpler, daily cargo ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained in the single digits from July 24 to 26, despite a pause in mutual attacks between the United States and Iran.
Meanwhile, an Iranian official said that on Monday, six vessels attempted to navigate through what was described as an "illegal and unsafe" southern passage of the strait with their navigation and positioning systems switched off. One of them was involved in an incident, while the others were "guided" back into the Persian Gulf.
Oman proposes joint mechanism with Iran for managing Strait of Hormuz
