[Anchor]

The New York Times reports that Oman is pursuing a plan to collect service fees from vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, in cooperation with Iran. While Oman envisions these payments as voluntary, Iran maintains that the fees should be mandatory.

Reporter Park Won-gyeong has the story.

[Reporter]

On June 29 (local time), Iran and Oman, both coastal nations of the Strait of Hormuz, held their first joint committee meeting to discuss future management plans for the strait.

The New York Times reported that Oman, which had previously opposed the imposition of transit fees, has shifted its position.

Citing multiple diplomatic sources, The New York Times stated that Oman recently delivered an official proposal to the United States and other Western nations, outlining a plan for vessels using the strait to pay for services rendered.

[Kazem Gharibabadi / Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister: (Oman) does not wish for the Strait of Hormuz to be managed as it has been in the past. Their position is that fees should be collected for the services provided.]

However, it is reported that Oman described these payments in its proposal as voluntary service fees rather than mandatory transit tolls.

This concept is reportedly modeled after the navigational safety funds currently operating in areas such as the Strait of Malacca.

In those straits, private foundations voluntarily collect contributions to manage maritime safety.

In contrast, Iran insists that the service fees must be mandatory.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and head of the country's negotiating team with the U.S., stated in a televised address to the nation that free passage through the strait would only be permitted for 60 days, adding that Iran would not relinquish its rights over the strait under any circumstances.

The United States has strongly opposed the monetization of the Strait of Hormuz, regardless of what the fees are called.

Nevertheless, The New York Times reported that the U.S. government, having received the proposal, remains hopeful that differences can be resolved through working-level discussions, given the strategic cooperative relationship between the U.S. and Oman.

(Video Editing: Lee Seung-yeol)