Iran has discussed partnering with the Gulf state of Oman — an American ally — in a system charging fees for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, ignoring the Trump administration’s warnings against demands for payment to pass through the critical international waterway.
It is unclear whether anything concrete will come out of the discussions. But the talks appear to signal that the United States and Iran are no closer to ending a war that has badly damaged the global economy despite repeated claims to the contrary by President Trump. At least publicly, neither side has shown a willingness to compromise.
After coming under attack by American and Israeli forces in late February, Iran brought commercial traffic in the strait to a near halt, crippling international shipping and driving up energy prices. With its leverage over the global economy established, Iranian officials began discussing ways to maintain a hold on the waterway and use it to generate revenue.
On Wednesday, amid the discussions with Oman, Iran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority said on social media that it had “defined the boundaries of the Strait of Hormuz management supervision area” and that passage would require a permit from the authority. The Gulf of Oman is adjacent to the strait and needs to be traversed before reaching it from the east.
Mr. Trump has at various points over recent months condemned the possibility of any Iranian tolls and floated the notion that the United States could itself charge them as the self-declared winner of the war. He also suggested that the revenue might be shared.
On Thursday, he dismissed the notion of any payment for passage through the strait. “We want it free,” he said, speaking in the Oval Office. “We don’t want tolls. It’s international. It’s an international waterway.”
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