Qatar, Oman Weigh 5-party Hormuz Talks as Gulf States Push Back on Transit Fees

3 articles · Updated · Institute for the Study of War · Jun 24

Qatari and Omani officials discussed launching negotiations on Strait of Hormuz management involving Iran, Iraq and Gulf Arab states, widening earlier Iran-Oman talks into a broader regional format.
The push follows a US-Iran memorandum requiring Iran to discuss the strait’s future with Oman and other Gulf littoral states, giving Tehran an opening to shape post-war arrangements.
Gulf states plan to oppose transit fees in those talks, according to a diplomat, though Iran could still seek environmental, navigation or security charges as part of any deal.
Qatar said it would not accept Gulf waters being controlled or turned into a toll system, but its openness to discussing joint administration suggests some states may still entertain limited Iranian concessions.
The talks could extend beyond shipping rules into a wider Gulf security and economic framework that strengthens Iranian influence and tests long-standing norms on the strait’s status as an international waterway.