Iran and Oman have finalized a deal to jointly regulate maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf announced on July 3.
The agreement, rooted in Clause 5 of the recent Washington–Tehran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marks a major shift in the administration of the vital energy corridor.
Key Highlights:
US & Israeli Context: The announcement occurred during a meeting with Chinese officials ahead of the funeral for the martyrdom of the Supreme Leader Sayyed Ali Khamenei (killed by a US-Israeli strike on Feb 28). Ghalibaf stated that Israel seeks to undermine Iran-US understandings, but vowed that Iran will block any US "interference" in the strait, asserting it is under Iranian command, not CENTCOM.
Chinese Vessels Protected: Ghalibaf confirmed that issues affecting the passage of Chinese vessels have been resolved as a gesture of reciprocity for Beijing's support.
Economic Measures: Oman previously endorsed an Iranian proposal to levy maritime "service fees" on shipping through the strait. This follows friction over a US-Omani shipping corridor that Tehran viewed as an MoU violation.
Diplomatic Friction:** The deal comes amid a fragile 60-day negotiation window for the US-Tehran MoU. Tehran accuses Washington of violating terms via continued attacks and failing to restrain Israeli operations in Lebanon, leading to recent retaliatory Iranian strikes on US Gulf assets.