CNN: Oman has proposed a regional coalition to provide maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz

The news site Eghtesad Online reported in the early hours of Monday, 27 July 2026 (5 Mordad 1405), citing a CNN report and informed sources, that Oman has floated a plan to form a regional coalition that would provide maritime services in the Strait of Hormuz and collect voluntary contributions from transiting ships, on a model drawn from the Strait of Malacca arrangement.

Under the Malacca and Singapore mechanism, a non-governmental body collects voluntary contributions from shipping companies to fund navigational services, pollution control and maritime emergency infrastructure. That differs from compulsory transit tolls, which are regarded as incompatible with the principle of freedom of navigation. Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi has previously stated explicitly that Muscat does not support imposing fees on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, while drawing a distinction between mandatory charges and voluntary payments to maintain the waterway.

The report comes as technical and political consultations between Iran and Oman on a shipping passage mechanism continue, with the Omani delegation having left Tehran on the evening of Saturday, 25 July. The proposal has not been officially confirmed by any of the parties.