European countries are considering a proposal that would allow ships to pay voluntary navigation service fees when transiting the Strait of Hormuz, provided the charges remain optional and receive approval from the International Maritime Organization (IMO).
The discussions come amid pressure from the United States for Iran to publicly declare that the Strait of Hormuz is once again safe for commercial shipping.
According to The Guardian, UK Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy stressed that making such fees mandatory for vessels passing through the strait would be an extremely dangerous step. However, several other members of the British Cabinet acknowledged that charges for specific navigation-related services are already common practice in major international shipping routes, including the Strait of Malacca between Indonesia and Malaysia and the English Channel, provided they remain voluntary and are approved by the IMO.
Oman has already drafted a proposal modeled on the Strait of Malacca system and is preparing a team of legal experts to travel to Tehran to explain the plan in detail. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is scheduled to visit Oman to discuss maritime security.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the visit would be “focused on the Strait of Hormuz and maritime safety” and described it as “a continuation of the consultations we have been conducting with Oman over the past one to two months.”
During last week’s IMO Council meeting in London, Oman’s delegate Khamis bin Mohammed Al Shamakhi emphasized that the right of ships to transit international straits is guaranteed under international law and reiterated Oman’s opposition to mandatory transit fees.
However, he added that Oman sees value in exploring voluntary arrangements related to navigation support services, such as maritime safety, marine environmental protection, and emergency response to shipping accidents.
Oman controls most of the navigable waters within the Strait of Hormuz and remains opposed to compulsory tolls.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al-Ansari expressed even stronger objections.
“Granting Iran sovereignty over the strait in a manner that contradicts international maritime law is essentially agreeing to become hostage to any radical element that wishes to seize control of the strait at any time,” he said.
Internal Divisions Within Iran
The issue has also highlighted differences of opinion within Iran itself.
One diplomat told The Guardian:
“There is a faction within the IRGC that argues the United States launched an unlawful attack against them in February, so why should they care about international maritime law? Others want to cooperate. There is a divide in Tehran.”
Before the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz handled approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies.
Following U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran on February 28, Iran closed the strait to most commercial shipping.
The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 18 guaranteeing an end to military hostilities and reopening the waterway for a 60-day period.
Clause 5 of the memorandum requires Iran to make every possible effort to ensure commercial vessels can transit safely and free of charge during that 60-day period.
However, disagreements over which party has authority to determine shipping routes through the strait continue to impede implementation.
Concerns Extend to Other Strategic Waterways
The debate over navigation service fees in the Strait of Hormuz has also sparked concerns elsewhere.
Investors have begun questioning whether a similar model could eventually be applied to the Strait of Malacca, the strategic waterway linking the Indian and Pacific Oceans through the territorial waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong have jointly reaffirmed that the Strait of Malacca must remain open to all nations in accordance with international law.
At the IMO, a coalition of Gulf and European countries attempted to advance a resolution condemning Iran for seeking to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz by attacking commercial vessels.
However, Russia argued that the proposal ignored the underlying causes of the crisis, while China described the resolution as one-sided and beyond the IMO’s mandate. Both countries declined to support it.
On Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated on social media that he considers the temporary ceasefire agreement to have “ended,” while stating that the United States would continue negotiations aimed at permanently ending the conflict.
Several hours later, Trump warned Iran that “1,000 missiles are ready to be launched at and directed toward the Islamic Republic of Iran” should Tehran attempt to assassinate him.***
