Oman establishes temporary shipping routes in Strait of Hormuz
Temporary shipping routes out of the Strait of Hormuz have been created by Oman, reports The New Arab plus agencies on June 24th.
Two new toll free lanes have been established by Omani authorities, one to the north and one to the south of Hormuz’s existing open shipping lane.
On June 24th, a joint statement by Iranian and Omani authorities explained that both countries have committed to ensuring freedom of navigation in the Strait in line with international law. Part of the statement also discussed the creation of a joint working group between the two countries to ensure future management of vessels.
This statement and Oman’s temporary shipping lanes follow the recent US-Iran talks in Switzerland on June 23rd. These talks resulted in a de-escalation framework being agreed to by both sides. A direct communication channel between the US and Iran was also established during the talks as well as a 30 day coordination plan to ensure vessels safe maritime passage.
As a result of the US-Iran agreement of de-escalation, the UN’s International Maritime Organisation (IMO), has begun evacuating stranded sailors from the Strait. The operation is said to be evacuating more than 11,000 people who have remained trapped around the Strait since the start of the US-Iran conflict in February 2026. Iran, Oman and the US are all involved in the UN’s evacuation operation with vessels being told to use Oman’s temporary shipping routes. Arsenio Dominguez, the Secretary-General of the IMO stated he welcomes the peace agreement as a “step towards restoring maritime security”.
There also appears to be confusion over the future governance of the Strait of Hormuz. According to the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s Director General of Parliamentary and Legal Affairs, Hossein Noushabadi, control of the Strait falls under Iranian and Omani jurisdiction. According to Iran’s state-affiliated media group, coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps will help determine how many vessels would be able to leave the Strait daily.
The US have proclaimed that no new fees or restrictions must be placed on vessels leaving the Strait. On June 23rd, Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State said “no country is allowed to charge tolls or fees on an international waterway”.
172 vessels have vacated the Strait according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler, but 200 tankers remained trapped on June 23rd open source data reveals.
The New Arab plus agencies, Maghrebi.org
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