Iran claims to be drafting proposal to ‘monitor’ Strait of Hormuz with Oman

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency claims Iranian diplomat Kazem Gharibabadi is drafting a proposal to “monitor” the Strait of Hormuz with Oman, describing the proposal as “intended to facilitate and ensure safe passage and provide better services to ships passing through this route.”

Iran’s attacks on shipping in the region, as well as reportedly demanding as much as $2 million for passage through the narrow mouth of the Persian Gulf, have created a stranglehold on the route.

It is unclear what the proposal would mean. Oman does not immediately acknowledge it. The strait runs through Iranian and Omani territorial waters but is considered an international waterway that should freely allow ships to pass.

“Naturally, when we face an act of aggression, navigation encounters serious problems, and this is the result of the aggressive act,” Gharibabadi says. “We are currently at war and cannot expect pre-war rules to govern wartime conditions.”