Oman has moved to reassure global shipping and energy markets that passage through the Strait of Hormuz will remain safe, open and toll-free as Muscat and Tehran begin structured talks on the long-term management of navigation through one of the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoints.The understanding emerged after meetings in Muscat involving senior Omani and Iranian officials, including Sultan Haitham bin Tariq, Foreign Minister Sayyid Badr Al Busaidi, Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi. The two sides agreed to establish a working group through their foreign ministries to continue discussions on navigation, maritime services and coordination with regional states and other stakeholders.
Both governments affirmed that arrangements relating to the Strait of Hormuz must respect international law, freedom of navigation and the sovereignty of coastal states over their territorial waters. The formulation is significant because it attempts to balance two competing principles: the global demand for uninterrupted passage through an international waterway and the insistence by Oman and Iran that their territorial jurisdiction cannot be ignored.
Muscat’s position has been framed around de-escalation, practical shipping safety and regional ownership of a route through which roughly a fifth of global oil flows. The strait links the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, making it indispensable for crude, condensate and liquefied natural gas exports from major producers. Any disruption quickly feeds into freight rates, insurance costs and energy prices.
Oman has also opened two temporary shipping routes north and south of the existing lane to reduce navigational risk while conditions in the main traffic separation scheme remain difficult. The corridors are being operated with a focus on controlled movements, vessel identification and safety coordination. Ships are expected to keep their Automatic Identification System equipment active, follow routing instructions and conduct their own risk assessments before entering the area.
The assurance that no tolls will be charged is aimed at easing concern among shipowners, insurers and energy traders after proposals for new maritime service fees raised legal and commercial questions. A fee regime, even if presented as a charge for safety, registration or navigation support, would be contentious because the strait is used for international navigation and any new cost could be viewed as a restriction on passage.
For Oman, the challenge is to preserve its role as a credible mediator while protecting its own territorial waters and maritime interests. Muscat has long maintained working channels with Tehran, Washington and Gulf capitals, and its diplomacy has often centred on preventing regional disputes from spilling into trade routes. The new discussions allow Oman to present itself not merely as a facilitator but as a coastal state with direct responsibility for orderly navigation.
Iran’s participation reflects a different calculation. Tehran wants recognition of its role in security and traffic management around the northern side of the strait, particularly at a time when tensions have sharpened scrutiny of shipping lanes, naval deployments and energy flows. By joining a bilateral working process with Oman, Iran gains a diplomatic framework for discussing navigation without relying solely on unilateral declarations.
The working group is expected to address maritime services, communication procedures, emergency coordination and engagement with other Gulf states. Wider participation will be essential because the impact of any arrangement extends beyond Oman and Iran. Producers, importers, tanker operators, insurers and naval forces all have a stake in predictable rules.
Energy markets are watching closely because confidence in Hormuz passage is tied directly to supply expectations. Even limited uncertainty can push up war-risk premiums and encourage cargo delays, longer voyages or stockpiling. LNG buyers in Asia and crude refiners across major importing economies remain particularly exposed because alternative pipeline routes do not fully replace the volumes that normally move by sea through the strait.
Legal questions are likely to persist. Oman and Iran both have territorial waters in and around the strait, while many maritime powers insist that transit passage through such waterways cannot be suspended or conditioned in ways that obstruct international navigation. The latest Omani language seeks to avoid a direct legal confrontation by placing sovereignty, safety and open passage in the same diplomatic frame.
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