Oman has taken on the role of architect for a post-war Strait of Hormuz order, opening two temporary shipping corridors in coordination with the International Maritime Organization and launching formal bilateral talks with Iran on long-term navigation management, even as the waterway remains littered with mines and the maritime threat level stays at substantial.
In a notice to mariners, Oman said the existing Traffic Separation Scheme in the strait was currently unsafe for use and that vessels departing through the waterway should instead use two temporary routes located north and south of the traditional shipping lanes. No fees will be charged to vessels using the Omani corridors, Muscat said, in direct contrast to Iran’s stated intention to charge maritime service fees and require ships to coordinate passage with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy.
Under the 60-day memorandum of understanding signed on June 17, commercial vessels are guaranteed toll-free transit for the duration of negotiations, but the longer-term arrangement remains unresolved.
Oman and Iran held their first joint talks on Hormuz management on Monday, with Omani Deputy Foreign Minister Khalifa Al Harthy meeting his Iranian counterpart Kazem Gharibabadi in Muscat. Both sides issued a joint statement affirming their commitment to ensuring safe passage in accordance with international law, and agreed to establish a joint working group through their foreign ministries to negotiate the future administration of navigation, the services to be provided and the associated costs. The statement also emphasised both countries’ sovereignty over their respective territorial waters in the strait.
The practical picture is significantly more complex. The Joint Maritime Information Center, overseen by the US Navy, raised its maritime threat level in the strait to substantial following a series of vessel strikes last week, including the drone attack on the Panama-flagged tanker Kiku that triggered a fresh round of US-Iran military exchanges. Around 80 mines are estimated to remain in the waterway, according to the IMO, which is running a phased evacuation plan for up to 600 stranded vessels carrying more than 11,000 seafarers. Ships are being grouped, contacted individually and assigned phased departure dates before being directed to waiting areas in international waters for clearance.
Insurance remains a significant obstacle. The IMO said the US-Iran agreement and the Omani corridor arrangement give insurers somewhat more certainty, but underwriters have not yet returned to normal terms for Gulf shipping, leaving many vessel operators unwilling to transit regardless of the official status of the routes.
