Iran could let ships sail freely through the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz without risk of attack under proposals it has offered in talks with the U.S., providing a deal is clinched to prevent renewed conflict, a source briefed by Tehran said.
The proposal seemed more symbolic than a solution for the hundreds of ships waiting to transit the strait, which carries about 20% of global oil and LNG trade. A source, speaking anonymously, said Iran may allow vessels to use the Omani side of the narrow strait without interference.
“We welcome any moves to permit safe transit of ships through the established traffic separation scheme,” said a spokesperson for the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which is the United Nations’ shipping agency.
Shift in Iran’s Position
The proposal marks the first visible step by Tehran to pull back from more combative ideas floated in recent weeks, which included charging ships for passage through the international waterway and imposing sovereignty on the strait.
Both these options are seen by the global shipping industry as breaching maritime conventions.
The U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has resulted in the largest-ever disruption of global oil and gas supplies due to Iran’s interruption of traffic through the strait.
Hundreds of tankers and other vessels, along with about 20,000 seafarers, have been stranded in the Gulf since the war began on February 28, despite a ceasefire taking effect on April 8.
It is unclear whether Iran would clear any mines on the Omani side or allow all ships, including those linked to Israel, to pass. The source said the proposal depends on whether Washington meets Tehran’s demands.
An Iranian official said separately that the proposal meant Iran would retain control over the Strait of Hormuz within its sovereign territorial waters, while not interfering on the Omani side, which he said was aimed at showing goodwill to end the war, with Tehran expecting similar flexibility from the U.S.
International Response
A Western security source said the proposal to let ships pass through Omani waters unhindered had been in the works although it was not clear if there had been any U.S. response.
A so-called two-way traffic separation scheme, which was adopted by the U.N.’s shipping agency in 1968 with agreement of countries in the region, created the current ship routing system that split sailing corridors through Iranian and Omani waters.
The strait, a strip of water only 34 km wide between Iran and Oman, provides passage from the Gulf to the Indian Ocean and is a main route for energy supplies from the Middle East and other vital goods including fertilisers.
IMO member countries meeting this week rejected the idea of a toll being imposed by Iran for ships using the strait, which the IMO has said would “set a dangerous precedent”.
(With inputs from Reuters)
