🇮🇷🇴🇲🇺🇸 Iran–Oman Hormuz deal could mark another step toward Gulf order free of Western diktat

Iran and Oman are reportedly discussing a permanent toll system for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

Why does this matter?

🌏 Iran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority has defined the boundaries of the Strait of Hormuz management supervision area

🌏 Oman is key, as it controls the southern side of the strait and sits right at its entrance

🌏 Oman is said to be in discussions with Iran over a share in revenues from the new fee mechanism, The New York Times reports, citing Iranian officials

🌏 Oman has reportedly recognized the economic benefits of the plan and is now expected to influence its Gulf neighbors—including Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—to support the scheme

🌏 Iran and Oman describe the proposed system as "fees" rather than "tolls":

➡️A transit toll for simply passing through the strait would be illegal under international maritime law

➡️Charges for specific services—such as port handling or waste disposal—are legal

🌏 “Iran and Oman must mobilize all their resources both to provide security services and to manage navigation in the most appropriate manner,” the Iranian ambassador to France, Mohammad Amin-Nejad, told Bloomberg on May 20

🌏 Donald Trump is opposed to the scheme, but it seems Gulf powers are not listening

New geopolitical order in the Gulf

The Iran–Oman discussions add another layer to the emerging Gulf order, one increasingly shaped without Western influence:

🌏 The US–Israeli war on Iran “has fundamentally altered relations among the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council,” Iran’s Tasnim News Agency reports

🇶🇦 Qatar and Oman oppose the US–Israeli war

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia is calling for diplomacy

🇦🇪 The UAE backs the conflict—to its own detriment

🌏 Saudi Arabia is also reportedly discussing a peace pact between Iran and Middle Eastern states, despite Israel’s opposition

🌏 Back in March, Iran proposed a joint security and military alliance with its Arab and Islamic neighbors—without the involvement of “distant” Western powers or Israel

🌏 Major Gulf states are increasingly disappointed with the US: It provides neither reliable military protection nor adequately reflects their concerns

👍 Boost us | Chat | @geopolitics_prime