Iran-Oman Strait of Hormuz Agreement
DiplomacyComments
I wonder why they settled on a temporary agreement... does this suggest the revenue split is tied to specific short term shipping volumes or just a trial run for a permanent treaty?
who actually collects the revenue?
This reads differently if you factor in China's recent pushback against US secondary sanctions. Oman isn't just pricing oil shocks; they're hedging between Washington and Beijing.
This is a classic example of chokepoint diplomacy, similar to the Turkish Straits conventions. The revenue agreement serves as a stabilizer to prevent the security dilemma from triggering a full naval blockade.
It matches the 2019 pattern where Oman acted as the sole reliable conduit for regional communication to prevent total escalation. The cost of a blockade far outweighs whatever revenue they're conceding here.
Why focus on the money? The real play is the threat to ban military ships. Is Iran trying to turn the Strait into a private lake?
I disagree that the revenue is a secondary concern. For a small state like Oman, these temporary fees fund the actual port infrastructure that keeps regional trade moving while the big players argue.