Oman proposes joint control of Strait of Hormuz as mediators expect talks 'breakthrough' Submitted by MEE staff on Tue, 07/28/2026 - 13:33 Gulf-backed plan for joint management of key waterway reportedly being considered by Trump as he meets with Netanyahu Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, 27 July 2026 Razieh Poudat/ISNA/via WANA (Reuters) Off Oman has presented Iran with a proposal for joint management of the Strait of Hormuz, while mediators are reportedly expecting a "breakthrough" in peace talks following a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to two sources who spoke to Reuters, the Gulf-backed plan proposes a joint regional mechanism to manage the key waterway, with those using it paying voluntary fees to fund the cost of its maintenance. This will include funding to cover navigation, environmental protection and search and rescue services.
The proposal draws on the model of the Strait of Malacca, which lies between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and is jointly managed by neighbouring states Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. Prior to the conflict which erupted in February when the US launched its assault on Iran, a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flowed through the Strait of Hormuz. Its management has emerged as a major sticking point in talks between Tehran and Washington to end the conflict.
(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); The latest round of fighting began after a memorandum of understanding was signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in June. The agreement granted Iran the authority to “make arrangements using its best efforts for the safe passage of commercial vessels”. Tehran then designated a commercial shipping corridor entirely within its territorial waters.
Three days after the deal was signed, on 20 June, the US-backed Joint Maritime Information Center announced that commercial vessels could transit the Strait of Hormuz under US guidance via the southern route, directly challenging Iran’s newly acquired leverage. Are Iran and the US fighting a war neither side can win? Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement that Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed the issue with his Oman…
It is now a struggle for control over the Strait of Hormuz. After the first month of war, Iran found itself in an unexpectedly advantageous position, having secured de facto control over the Strait of Hormuz. Controlling the world’s most critical energy chokepoint enables Tehran to influence global oil prices and, by extension, pressure the US economy and shape Washington’s political calculus.
This constitutes the Islamic Republic’s most formidable strategic deterrent against the US and Israel in decades. It is precisely this advantage that Washington is now fighting tooth and nail to wrest from Iran. The latest round of conflict began after a memorandum of understanding was signed by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
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