Iran and Oman Move Toward Strait of Hormuz Tolls; Trump Faces Reality Check

[Anchor]

Iran and Oman are fleshing out plans to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. However, it appears increasingly likely that vessel tolls will be imposed in some form. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been loudly claiming that the war will end soon, is now facing the realistic challenges of soaring oil prices and weapons shortages.

Here is a report from Kim Yongtae.

[Reporter]

Iran and Oman are discussing a plan where transit through the Strait of Hormuz would initially use the northern route on the Iranian side and the southern route on the Omani side for a certain period, after which all vessels would navigate through the central channel of the strait, according to Iran's Fars News Agency.

Reports also quoted an Iranian government official as saying that Iran would be involved with all incoming and outgoing ships and set toll fees under the guise of service costs.

Additionally, the Iranian parliament is reviewing a bill that would entirely ban vessels from hostile nations, such as the United States and Israel, from navigating the strait.

The measure also includes banning transit for countries or individuals that have caused damage to Iran until reparations are paid.

Following this news, international oil prices rose again.

[Jonathan / California, U.S.: Gas prices are so high that a friend and I carpool. To save on gas, we take one car instead of two.]

President Trump, who previously claimed the war would end soon and the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened, has also grown somewhat more cautious.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President: (Has a deal been reached on reopening the Strait of Hormuz?) I wouldn't say a deal has been reached. It's sort of open right now.]

He also acknowledged that supplies for some weapons are not sufficient.

[Donald Trump / U.S. President: We have virtually unlimited amounts of very powerful ammunition. There are some ammunitions where supplies are a bit limited.]

Ghalibaf, the head of Iran's negotiating delegation, mocked President Trump, stating that the U.S. repeatedly threatens imminent large-scale attacks only to cancel them at the last minute. Meanwhile, shipping associations have condemned Iran's move to impose tolls as a dangerous precedent, urging the United Nations and the International Maritime Organization to intervene.

(Video Editing: Lee Seung-yeol, Design: Seo Seung-hyun)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.