Iran has reportedly discussed introducing a tolling system for the vessels to transit through the Strait of Hormuz with the Persian Gulf state of Oman, which is a US ally, as Tehran ignores Washington’s threats against demanding payments from ships to cross the critical waterway.
However, the New York Times report added that it remains unclear whether the discussions between Iranian and Oman officials would yield anything concrete but it indicates that United States and Iran don’t appear to end the nearly three months old conflict which has shaken the global economy as both the US and Iran have not shown any signs of compromise.
Maritime disruptions and economic impact
After the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran in February, the Islamic Republic halted the commercial shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, affecting the supply chain which soared the oil prices globally.
“Can they keep their highly enriched uranium?”@POTUS: “No. We will get it. We don’t need it. We don’t want it. We’ll probably destroy it after we get it — but we’re not going to let them have it.” pic.twitter.com/fHmF1UHXOe
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) May 21, 2026
After Tehran established its control over the key waterway, which is responsible for 20 percent of global oil supply, Iranian officials began discussing ways to maintain their hold and leverage the strait to generate revenue, NYT reported.
Tehran establishes new regulatory authority
Iran recently established Persian Gulf Strait Authority to carryout out the daily mechanism in the strait and as discussions with Oman were ongoing to introduce a tolling system, the authority on Wednesday posted an update on its social media post.
The authority said it had “defined the boundaries of the Strait of Hormuz management supervision area” and that transit would require a permit from the authority.
Washington rejects Iranian claims over international waterway
US President Donald Trump has condemned the possibility of any Iranian tolls being collected from commercial ships to transit Hormuz and on Thursday, dismissed the notion of any payment being made for passage through the strait. “We want it free. We don’t want tolls. It’s international. It’s an international waterway,” Trump said while speaking to reporters at the White House.
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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also rejected the idea of tolls being collected by Iranian authorities for commercial ships passage through the strait. Rubio said Iran is “trying to create a tolling system” and to convince Oman to join the system. “There is not a country in the world that should accept that, Al Jazeera reported.
