A senior Iranian Foreign Ministry official said Thursday that Iran is drafting a protocol with Oman to monitor maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that even in peacetime, ships’ passage should take place under the “supervision and coordination” of coastal states.
Kazem Gharibabadi, the ministry’s deputy for legal and international affairs, said the proposed Iran-Oman mechanism would not be aimed at restricting shipping but at facilitating safe passage through the strategic waterway.
“Naturally, these requirements will not mean restrictions; rather, they are to facilitate and ensure safe passage and to provide better services to the ships that pass through this route,” Gharibabadi said, according to Iranian official media.
The strait, the world’s most important energy chokepoint that carries about one-fifth of all crude oil, remains effectively closed to most commercial traffic due to the war.