Stephen Zunez, founding director of Middle East Studies at the University of San Francisco, suggests that Iran's plan to establish a restricted zone in the Strait of Hormuz may be related to its ongoing negotiations with Oman regarding shipping access through the strait. If the agreement with Oman proves feasible and acceptable to the United States, Iran might "withdraw" its enforcement of the restricted zone. If not, Iran has contingency plans in place to make the US rejection of the Iran-Oman agreement more difficult. The restricted zone could further complicate the situation, as the already stretched U.S. military would have to patrol and enforce the law over a larger area. It could also make shipping companies and their insurance companies less willing to risk navigating this dangerous waterway. Regarding the Gulf region, Zunez stated that Iran's neighbors have a "shared interest in resolving the conflict." If this Iran-Oman agreement does significantly increase shipping volume, it would obviously be a good thing. He believes they might even be willing to pay tolls or transit fees, or whatever they want to call it—although the U.S. would strongly oppose it in principle. However, he doesn't doubt that Oman and other Gulf states have been consulting throughout the process and have certainly contributed their opinions to shaping Oman's position.
