Iran Seeking Oman Cooperation in Hormuz Toll System: Escalating Insurance Fees and Ceasefire Tensions
Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has shifted into a layered insurance system during the ceasefire, with transit rights now tied to geopolitical affiliation. Primary allies receive unrestricted passage, while certain partner states move through the corridor under negotiated trade arrangements. Ships linked to active combatants are barred entirely, giving Iran de facto control over the waterway’s operational rules.
Vessels lacking a formal arrangement with the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) are charged a transit fee of roughly $150,000 to secure safe movement and avoid interference from Iranian naval units. Sixteen foreign ships have already navigated the Strait under this system, reflecting a broader effort to institutionalize cargo tracking, route enforcement, and localized oversight across the region’s main energy channel.
Building a Plan: Mediation and Media
The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) cited a Telegram post from the Iranian Students’ News Agency (ISNA) stating that Iran was reviewing the United States proposal and hadn’t responded yet. Iran was said to be discussing the details and required measures to commit to confidence-building. Based on the ISNA, General Asim Munir arrived amid the discussions to reduce gaps, while progress moving forward requires the United States to cease military threats against Iran.
The ISW reported that Reuters was informed that Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a declaration that Iran’s highly-enriched uranium (HEU) would not leave Iran. Two unspecified senior Iranian officials further iterated that top members in Iran see removing their stockpile and shipping it abroad as leaving Iran susceptible to hostilities in the future. However, Ali Hashem of Al Jazeera English later reported that a senior Iranian official called the Reuters report propaganda. The ISW cited a Telegram post from the Iranian Republic News Agency (IRNA) in which Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei stated that the Reuters report lacked credibility.
The Strait of Hormuz: Insurance Fees and Striking a Deal
Reporting from the ISW cited Iran’s newly established X account, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), had released a newly defined maritime zone on May 20, 2026. The map shows Iranian control beyond the Strait of Hormuz from Kuh Mobarak in Iran to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to the southern part of Fujairah to the east, and from the end of Qeshm Island in Iran to Umm al Qaiwain in the UAE to the west. The newly redrawn map shows PSGA under the IRGC’s control of the waters around the UAE and Oman.
The ISW cited a Bloomberg interview with the Iranian Ambassador to France, Mohammad Amin Nejad, who stated that the Omani and Iranian governments are discussing a joint control mechanism for transiting the international waterway. Despite President Donald Trump’s claim that ships aren’t leaving without United States Navy approval, the IRNA, Fars News, and Tasnim were all reporting that approximately 30 ships transited the waters with IRGC Navy approval.
United States Central Command (CENTCOM) said it has redirected a total of 94 ships and disabled four as of May 21, 2026, since the blockade on Iranian ports began on April 13, 2026.
The Recovery: Iran Fortifying Stock
According to ISW’s review of CNN’s reported conversation with United States officials, Iran is projected to restore its defensive industrial base faster than intelligence communities anticipated. The situation is influenced in part by the continued operation of defense‑industrial sites that were not destroyed in the U.S. and Israeli strikes. According to the official, Iran has been using the ceasefire to replace and or restore missile sites, launchers, and production sites that had been destroyed during earlier airstrikes.
Based on the information, the ISW acknowledges that production site mentions are vague and unclear; it may allude to factory complexes, a single complex, or rapidly replaceable machinery. CNN also reported that Iran has maintained roughly 50 percent of its drone capabilities, with intelligence revealing a large portion of coastal defense still functional. It was revealed that Iran has dug out enough missile launchers during the ceasefire to constitute approximately two-thirds of its defenses.
CNN was reportedly informed that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) was assisting Iran in rebuilding by sending missile components; ISW notes there is no evidence to corroborate the claim. CNN also indicated that the naval blockade on Iranian ports may be hindering Russian and Chinese aid to fortify Iran’s supply back to pre-war conditions. The ISW cited a Reuters report based on unnamed sources indicating that the TOUSKA was likely to have transited from the PRC to Iran, consistent with previous transfers of dual-use items that Iran could use in its rebuilding efforts.
Iraq Speaks: Prime Minister Admonishes Iran
Updated information has been released about the drones Saudi Arabia intercepted, as well as the drone incident involving the UAE’s Barakah nuclear facility that ignited fire. Iraqi Prime Minister Ali Faleh Al-Zaidi announced on May 21, 2026, that Iraq would be investigating the attacks on its neighbors that were reported to have come from within Iraqi airspace on May 19, 2026. CBS News highlighted the condemnation of the attacks, as Iraq rejected the use of its airspace for the attack, formally denouncing the assault that targeted the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
