AhlulBayt News Agency (ABNA): The Telegraph wrote that Iran is considering a plan to charge European countries for the protection of the Strait of Hormuz, as part of a plan to reopen this strategic waterway.
The article continued, "This plan, which has not yet been finalized, envisages the creation of a 'voluntary fund' that would be financed by Persian Gulf countries and some European members of the International Maritime Organization."
Sources from Persian Gulf and European countries stated that the proposed voluntary contributions would help cover the costs of navigation management, environmental protection, search and rescue, and other services in the strait.
This agreement, if realized, could solve a major political headache for Donald Trump, allowing the passage of ships and oil flow through the Strait of Hormuz after months of economic disruption caused by rising oil prices.
Iran insists that this waterway can only be reopened if the United States lifts its naval blockade.
Under this plan, ships heading into the Persian Gulf would pass through a channel adjacent to Iran's coast and under its control, while outgoing ships would use a channel near Oman's coast.
According to the report, Oman's plan is based on the existing arrangements for the Strait of Malacca (located in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore), which connects the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, where ships are requested to make voluntary contributions for services.
Major powers and the shipping industry would willingly contribute to this plan to ensure smooth passage and minimal disruption to global supply chains, which have been severely damaged by the conflict with Tehran.
Just as the Strait of Malacca is the world's most important commercial artery, the Strait of Hormuz is its most vital energy chokepoint.
Oman has concluded that countries and ship owners dependent on the Persian Gulf for their energy supplies would willingly contribute to such a fund.
Italy, Belgium, and France are among the European countries most dependent on crude oil and liquefied natural gas imports from the Persian Gulf.
The British government emphasizes that only about 1 percent of the crude oil refined in the country in 2025 came from the Middle East. Most of Britain's energy comes from Norway, the United States, and the North Sea.
Although the preliminary peace agreement between Washington and Tehran would reopen the waterway to unrestricted navigation, it does not specify which country has the authority to regulate passage.
Last Monday, Trump claimed that Washington and Tehran had resumed negotiations to end the war, after he canceled new airstrikes against the Islamic Republic.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent both stated in public remarks on Tuesday that an agreement to reopen the waterway would soon be announced.
The redefinition of this waterway as a reliable energy route, as well as Iran's request for tolls, has led some prominent European powers to accept that ships passing through the strait will in some way be compelled to pay fees to Iran and Oman.
A source at the United Nations said that this plan has not yet been presented by any of the 176 member states of the International Maritime Organization (which includes Iran, Oman, and the United States).
Although there is no legal way to impose mandatory tolls on chokepoints used for international shipping, this source acknowledged that a "voluntary fund" could be "examined" as a practical alternative.
This plan could be modeled on the Aids to Navigation Fund; a cost-sharing mechanism established to help maintain the Strait of Malacca.
Although the responsibility for maintaining this waterway effectively lies with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, these three countries have argued that the costs of lighthouses, buoys, and other navigation aids should be paid by users.
Since the creation of this plan nearly a decade ago, contributions have been received from countries including Japan, Australia, and the United States, as well as private shipping companies, to help cover costs.
Under a similar program for the Strait of Hormuz, Iran and Oman could pressure countries to provide voluntary contributions as the price for reopening the trade route.
According to The Telegraph's understanding, Oman had previously rejected Iran's earlier proposal for a joint toll plan, because it contravened the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a fundamental document of international maritime law, which Oman has ratified but Iran has not.
**************
End/ 345E
