"Any vessel transiting the Strait of Hormuz without our permission, or outside the designated route, will face all consequences," Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned on 25/6, referring to the strategic shipping lane between Iran and Oman.

This warning comes amid a memorandum of understanding reached between the US and Iran in mid-June, aiming to de-escalate conflict. The document states Iran's commitment to facilitating safe and free passage for commercial vessels through the Persian Gulf - Gulf of Oman route within 60 days. Iran would coordinate with Oman and other Persian Gulf states to establish a management mechanism for the strait, based on international law and the sovereign rights of coastal states.

However, the text does not clearly define "efforts to ensure" or how maritime routes through Hormuz will be divided. This interpretive gap is sparking new competition, as Iran and Oman hold different views on the strait's management.

A cargo ship anchored off Bandar Abbas, Iran on 11/6. Photo: AP

Hormuz is an inverse V-shaped strait situated between Iran and Oman. The strait is 161 km long, with its narrowest point measuring 33 km, and each shipping lane only about 3 km wide. Prior to the conflict, this route transported around 20% of the world's oil and gas supply.

Gulf nations, including US allies, heavily rely on this route for oil exports. For Iran, Hormuz is a strategic tool, directly linked to national security, which Tehran cannot afford to lose, whether at the negotiating table or in conflict.

"They need this leverage, in both the best and worst-case scenarios," said Ali Vaez, a senior Iran analyst at the International Crisis Group (ICG).

According to Vaez, Iranian officials believe control over Hormuz is the most effective tool to compel the US to make concessions on sanctions and the nuclear program during negotiations. Hormuz becomes even more crucial for Iran in a worst-case scenario where President Donald Trump merely stalls, waiting past the mid-term elections before resuming hostilities.

"Controlling the Strait of Hormuz is a matter of survival, their primary leverage. There is no reason for them to accept weakening that leverage before a final agreement is reached," Vaez added.

Therefore, Iran's participation in a ceasefire agreement does not mean abandoning its right to shape the strait's management mechanism. Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasized that any future mechanism must place Tehran at the center of coordinating maritime activity.

Some shipping news outlets previously reported that Iran had introduced a toll system, where vessels would be guided along a maritime corridor near the Iranian coast and their safety ensured by the IRGC during transit.

In contrast to Iran, Oman is a member of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), requiring its actions to comply with this document. Oman is also a US ally, and President Trump had threatened to "blow away" Muscat if they cooperated with Tehran in controlling the strait.

UNCLOS stipulates that vessels are permitted continuous and unimpeded transit through international straits. Coastal states have the right to issue regulations concerning maritime safety, environmental protection, or traffic separation. The Convention allows coastal states to charge fees for services provided to maritime activities, but it cannot require vessels to seek permission or pay a fee to pass through.

Consequently, Oman seeks to establish a management mechanism where states bordering the Strait of Hormuz can receive revenue from voluntary contributions or payments for specific maritime services.

Oman, in coordination with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), opened a transit route through its territorial waters on 23/6 to allow cargo ships and stranded crews in the Persian Gulf to depart. This alternative shipping lane directly undermined Iran's control over Hormuz, prompting immediate protests from Tehran.

Iran declared that the only corridor vessels are permitted to use is the route running along its coastline, and all movement through Hormuz must be coordinated by the IRGC navy. Other routes are "unacceptable and extremely dangerous."

Given potential risks, the IMO halted coordination of cargo ships through the southern corridor on 25/6. On the same day, the Singapore-flagged cargo ship Ever Lovely was attacked while transiting along the Omani coast. This incident sparked a series of tit-for-tat strikes between the US and Iran last weekend.

"Tehran wants vessels to follow Iranian shipping routes for easier control," Matthew Wright, an analyst at maritime data company Kpler, told ABC.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reaffirmed this stance on 28/6 while speaking in Iraq.

"The responsibility for managing Hormuz belongs to Iran; no other country is involved. That is clearly stipulated in the memorandum of understanding. Any interference or unilateral action will only heighten tensions and delay the reopening of the strait," Araghchi declared.

Shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz. Graphic: Guardian

Despite their differences, discussions between Iran and Oman continue, reflecting a shared need to prevent a renewed crisis in the global oil and gas artery.

Iran and Oman held their first meeting on 29/6 to discuss the Hormuz management mechanism, with Iran represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi. The Iranian official stated that the two sides had "reached a common understanding" and that Oman "believes fees are necessary for services provided."

Gharibabadi reported that the two sides have established technical committees, which are expected to begin in-depth discussions in the next seven to eight days.

Meanwhile, Muscat reiterated its opposition to transit fees for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, but left open the possibility of discussing fees related to maritime services.

"Charging for services provided is legal, and we are discussing this with Iran," said Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi.

Nhu Tam (According to Guardian, Middle East Online, ABC)