Iran demands that ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz be in Iranian waters

According to Reuters, which quoted senior Iranian officials on 29 January, Iran has rejected Oman ' s proposed regional mechanism for the joint management of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran also submits that one of the entry and exit routes for ships passing through the Strait must pass exclusively through Iranian waters and another must pass partially through Iranian waters. Reuters reported that a senior Iranian official had stated that Iran maintained that the entire entry and partial departure routes through the Strait must be controlled by Iran, that Oman ' s control should correspond to its share of the route and that it was not in Iran ' s interest to establish a joint management mechanism with Oman for a reciprocal share. The Iranian official stated that only Iran and Oman could decide on the management of the Strait of Hormuz on the basis of their respective shares, and the Iraqi side refused to allow other States to influence it. The official also revealed that the United States and Saudi Arabia were trying to put pressure on Oman to advance their “unreal” plans for the Strait of Hormuz. Xinhua