“Iran was not planning a toll system, which would charge simply for transit,” according to The New York Times.
Iran and Oman: talks to charge fees for services, not “tolls”
The New York Times reports Tehran is discussing with Oman a joint arrangement to impose fees on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. According to two people familiar with the talks cited by the paper, the proposal would levy charges for “services” rendered to ships — for example, waste disposal at a port — rather than a blunt toll for passage. The Times noted the distinction is legally significant: “A tolling system that simply charges ships to pass through the waterway would be illegal under international law, but charging fees for actual services rendered to vessels…is allowed under certain circumstances.”
The Times also reported Oman initially rejected a joint partnership but has reconsidered and is “now in discussion over a share of the revenues,” with Oman reportedly willing to use its influence with neighbors — Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE — and with the United States to promote the plan, according to two Iranian officials cited by the paper.
Persian Gulf Strait Authority defines a large management area
On X, Iran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) posted that it has “defined the boundaries of the Strait of Hormuz management supervision area” as the “line connecting Kuh Mobarak in Iran and the south of Fujairah in the UAE in the east of the strait to the line connecting the end of Qeshm Island in Iran and Umm al-Qaiwain in the UAE in the west of the strait.” The PGSA’s claimed area of control, as stated in that post, includes the coastal waters of the United Arab Emirates and Oman in addition to Iran’s own waters.
U.S. reaction: diplomatic rebukes and military readiness
Secretary of State Marco Rubio reiterated that the Trump administration rejects any Iranian scheme to impose payments for passage. “That’s just not acceptable. It can’t happen,” Rubio said, warning that acceptance of Iranian tolls would set a global precedent. Rubio referenced a Bahrain-led, co-sponsored U.N. Security Council resolution as the “definitive international answer” to Iran’s proposed tolling scheme and said NATO allies are “beginning to think through a worst-case scenario” if Iran refuses to open the Strait.
U.S. military posts and officials have signaled readiness to act if necessary. CENTCOM posted that U.S. forces have redirected 97 commercial vessels and disabled four since the start of the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports. CENTCOM also said the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is “maintaining peak readiness while enforcing the U.S. blockade against Iranian ports.” Axios reported President Trump convened a senior national security meeting and “is seriously considering launching new strikes against Iran barring a last-minute breakthrough in negotiations,” citing two U.S. officials.
Shipping, storage and the visible strain on oil flows
Commercial movements underscore the economic pressure. Japan’s trade ministry told Bloomberg that the Idemitsu Maru, a very large crude carrier that transited the Strait in late April, is hauling two million barrels of Saudi crude and could dock at Idemitsu Kosan Co.’s Aichi refinery — the first Persian Gulf oil shipment to transit the Strait since the war began, the reporting said.
Maritime intelligence firm Windward’s multi-source intelligence (MSI) analysis found a sharp rise in tankers at anchor off Kharg Island: 27 tankers as of May 21, including 18 assessed as very large crude carriers (VLCC), up from 14 on May 14 — a 93% increase. Windward reported all were “dark” and not broadcasting position via AIS, and assessed that the majority are being used for floating storage. The firm estimated about two-thirds of Iranian-trading tankers are now constrained in the Gulf of Oman or Arabian Gulf by the U.S. blockade, with the remainder at ports off China or anchored off the Riau archipelago in Malaysia’s EEZ. Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB claimed most ships passing under Iran’s permission were linked to Southeast Asian nations that maintain “friendly relations with Iran.”
Diplomatic mediation and a disputed draft ceasefire
There are active mediation efforts in Tehran. Pakistani Field Marshal Asim Munir arrived in Tehran as part of ongoing efforts to secure a deal, and a Qatari negotiating team arrived in the city “in coordination with United States to help secure a deal to end the war,” Reuters reported. Secretary Rubio described “slight progress” in negotiations.
Saudi-based Al Arabiya claimed it obtained a “final draft of a possible agreement” between the U.S. and Iran, mediated by Pakistan, listing nine points that include an immediate unconditional ceasefire, guarantees of freedom of navigation in the Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz, a joint monitoring mechanism, negotiations on outstanding issues within seven days, and gradual lifting of U.S. sanctions in exchange for Iran’s commitments. TWZ noted it “cannot verify the validity of these details.”
What this means for the U.S. military, Gulf governments, and commercial shippers
- U.S. military: CENTCOM’s reported redirections and disabled vessels, the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group’s stated readiness, and reports of senior-level deliberations indicate continued operational posture and the potential for kinetic options if diplomacy fails.
- Gulf governments: Oman’s reported reconsideration of partnership and the PGSA’s boundary claim put neighboring states — including the UAE and Oman — in the center of contested maritime management and potential revenue-sharing discussions.
- Commercial shippers and refiners: The distinction between legally permissible service fees and illegal tolls matters materially; companies also face practical choices as vessels are redirected, stored at anchor, or choose routes based on permission to transit, as illustrated by the Idemitsu Maru and Windward’s tanker counts.
Iran’s push to recast passage charges as lawful fees for services, Oman’s reported receptiveness, and the PGSA’s asserted control area together create a fast-moving test of maritime law, regional diplomacy and U.S. resolve. The immediate pivot points are whether Oman endorses a joint scheme, whether the arrangement can be framed and implemented as service fees rather than transit tolls, and whether the Trump administration will accept or block any such arrangement — decisions that will shape the Strait’s status in the days ahead.
