A senior Iranian official said Tehran has rejected Oman's proposal for regional
joint management of the Strait of Hormuz as unworkable. Iran refuses third-party
participation in strait management and says only Iran and Oman may set
arrangements based on their respective territorial waters. The official said
Iran insists all transit routes through the strait, and some inbound approaches,
must remain under Iranian control. A 50-50 joint-management arrangement with
Oman would not serve Iran's interests, though Tehran regards Oman as a valued
neighbor. The official added the US and Saudi Arabia are pressing Oman to
advance what Iran considers an unrealistic plan for the strait.