Tehran, August 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Iran has said fees should be charged for maritime services provided to vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran and Oman continue discussions on a possible temporary shipping route through the strategic waterway.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei made the remarks at his weekly press conference on Monday while responding to a question on whether charges for maritime services had been discussed during Iran-Oman negotiations over the designation of a new route.
“Generally, when you provide maritime services, you must be reimbursed for them,” Baghaei said, while adding that such details were not currently being discussed.
He said negotiations between Iran and Oman were progressing “smoothly and constructively”, with the two sides working on mechanisms for safe navigation, environmental protection, provision of maritime services and combating crime in the strait.
Under the proposed arrangement, the existing northern and southern shipping routes would be replaced by an intermediate route on a temporary basis. Baghaei said the arrangement would remain in place until Iran and Oman reach an agreement on a new traffic separation scheme.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical international shipping corridor linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
Baghaei reiterated Tehran’s position that the closure of the waterway was linked to what Iran describes as US and Israeli “military aggression” against the country. He said reopening the strait would depend on the removal of conditions imposed on Iran.
The Iranian spokesperson also maintained that Tehran was not holding direct negotiations with the United States, although messages continued to be exchanged through intermediaries.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, said on Sunday that the two countries were “only semi-negotiating”. According to a report by Axios, Trump said he was prepared to allow economic pressure on Iran to increase rather than order another military offensive.
Trump told Axios that the situation was being handled quietly and described Iran’s economic position as being in “very bad shape”.
The report also said an agreement concerning traffic arrangements in the Strait of Hormuz had been negotiated among Iran, Oman and the United States and had been pending for several days.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Saturday that Tehran and Muscat were “very close” to an agreement on a temporary maritime traffic route through the strait.
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