Iran and Oman are carving up the Strait of Hormuz — the chokepoint for a fifth of the world's oil — and demanding a cut of every ship that passes through, while Washington insists the deal doesn't exist and American energy production stays deliberately handcuffed.
This is the price of dependence. Foreign powers are erecting toll booths on the world's most critical shipping lane, and the United States has no leverage to stop it because its own government won't let America produce the energy that would make the strait irrelevant.
Iran and Oman are close to an agreement to fully reopen the strait to commercial shipping, with both countries collecting what they call a "service fee" to cover environmental and security costs, the New York Post reported, citing the New York Times. Ships entering from the Indian Ocean would be routed through Iranian territorial waters. Vessels exiting the Persian Gulf would pass near Oman's coast. In other words: two foreign governments are partitioning a vital international waterway and charging rent.
Saeed Ajorlu, a member of Tehran's negotiating committee, told state broadcaster IRIB the arrangement would last one to three months "where Iran is dominant." He was blunt about the power grab: "We assert that the legal regime for passage through the Strait of Hormuz must not return to its pre-war state" — meaning before no single state controlled the waterway.
A U.S. official told the Times that Iran's description was "not accurate," insisting no tolls would be collected and Tehran would have no say over which ships could traverse the strait or what route they'd use. The Wall Street Journal reported last week that major disagreements remain over transit fees and passage rules. A U.S. official said Washington remains "closely engaged with mediators on an indirect basis." That's diplomat-speak for: we're not at the table, but we'd like you to think we are.
Meanwhile, Iran is backing its claims with firepower. Mohsen Rezaei, a senior advisor to Iran's supreme leader, warned Monday that Tehran would target any U.S. warship that tries to impose a different route. "(We won't allow) the second corridor to open. Even if they (U.S.) deploy warships, we will target them," Rezaei said, according to Euronews. He added: "There will certainly be serious dangers to the U.S. ships and bases. We will not sit and watch the U.S. continue the naval blockade."
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the strait will "remain closed until U.S. violations end" — and denied any new negotiations with Washington are underway, contradicting President Trump's claim that talks would begin within a day or two.
Oman's Foreign Ministry described its role as "transparent and neutral cooperation with all parties" aimed at restoring freedom of navigation. A cargo vessel off Oman's coast was struck by an "unknown projectile" on Tuesday, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency. No damage or injury details were released.
The New York Post framed the story around the fee arrangement and the diplomatic disagreement. Euronews led with Iran's military threats and the cargo ship strike, burying the toll-extraction scheme. Both outlets agree on the core fact: Iran is asserting control over an international waterway and daring anyone to stop it.
One-fifth of the world's oil once flowed through Hormuz. Every day Washington keeps American energy in a regulatory straitjacket is a day Tehran and Muscat get to tax the lanes we depend on. The question isn't whether Iran has the right to charge tolls. The question is why Washington keeps paying them — in leverage, in credibility, in dollars — when the answer is sitting under American soil.
