Iran Rejects Oman's Proposal for Joint Control of Strait of Hormuz

Iran has rejected Oman's proposal to share control of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a senior Iranian official. The proposal was for an evenly divided system, where ships would pay a voluntary fee to fund navigation and environmental protection.

The Iranian official told Reuters that Iran wants to maintain control over most of the critical oil and LNG chokepoint, including all inbound traffic into the Persian Gulf and part of the outbound lanes.

Tehran considers Oman a valuable neighbor but believes an evenly divided control is not in its interest. The rejection comes as strikes and attacks in the Middle East resumed overnight, sending oil prices surging again.