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Iran Rejects Oman Proposal for Joint Control of Hormuz Strait

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Iran turned down Oman's proposal for joint control of the Strait of Hormuz, instead repeating demands for more oversight of the waterway, according to media reports on Tuesday.

During a state broadcast Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said that Oman suggested joint 50-50 control of the waterway, with each country controlling shipping lanes closest to their respective coastlines.

The proposal failed to satisfy Iran's demands for control of the crucial waterway, which accounts for about one-fifth of the global energy flows, Al Jazeera reported.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, citing Gharibabadi, Tehran instead proposed a plan according to which transit in one direction would be solely through Iranian waters, with part of the return route also passing by the Iranian coast.

Tehran informed Oman that it wants full control of the waterway because US military supplies used in attacks on Iran had passed through the Strait, the report said, citing an Iranian official.

Iran will participate in the next round of negotiations only if its proposal is accepted by Oman, Gharibabadi said, according to the same article.

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