Iran, Oman near deal to control Hormuz traffic and charge ‘service fees’

Iran and Oman are nearing an agreement that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz to shipping without U.S. involvement, while placing traffic through the strategic waterway under their joint supervision, the New York Times reported Tuesday. Under the emerging arrangement, vessels entering the Persian Gulf would travel through the northern shipping lane, closer to Iran’s coast, while ships leaving the Gulf would use the southern lane near Oman, people familiar with the proposal told the newspaper. The plan would fundamentally change the status of the strait, which before the war operated as an international waterway open to free navigation. Iranian and Omani control would also come with a cost.