Oman has won the support of Gulf states for a plan that aims to end the disruption in the oil trade brought on by strikes in Iran and closures of the Strait of Hormuz. Under the proposal, Oman and Iran—which control the respective shores on each side of the strait—would jointly manage the waterway and assess fees for its use on a voluntary basis. Following Iran’s effective closure of the strait to ships other than its own, United States has expressed its desire for a return to the status quo ante, where ships were able to pass freely through with no payments. Washington says that charging mandatory fees would be illegal.

The proposal for voluntary fees would be analogous to a system in use in the Strait of Malacca, where Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore ask ships to pay voluntary contributions to fund navigation, environmental protection, and search-and-rescue operations.

Full report: Gulf states back plan to let Iran collect voluntary fees to use Hormuz.