Hormuz confusion deepens as Iran and US clash over who controls it

Both Iran and the US are engaged in rapid-fire diplomatic engagements as peace talks to end the war are advancing, while confusion still reigns in the Strait of Hormuz amid conflicting reports on whether free maritime navigation will resume without any restrictions.

Iran and Oman announced on Wednesday that they both intend to establish a joint mechanism to control navigation by a system of permits, claiming their authority over the strait.

Oman announced it was establishing a “temporary” toll-free shipping transit corridor in coordination with the International Maritime Organisation.

But Tehran continued to claim Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz despite repeated US reassurances that navigation would eventually be free as before the war.

US President Donald Trump released a new statement on Wednesday, saying that Iran informed the US that there will be “no tolls, no insurance costs and no other charges of any kind sought or received by Iran for travelling the Strait of Hormuz.”

Trump repeated that if the contrary as publicly declared by Iran were true, “negotiations would end, immediately”.

The Washington-based think tank Institute for the Study of War (ISW) said on Wednesday that “a reality in which Iran is able to manage traffic through the strait and collect related fees would constitute a significant strategic victory for Iran and give Iran substantial leverage over global commerce.”

Read more: Euronews