Some Arab Gulf States have suggested to the US and European countries that they are not opposed to paying a fee in the Strait of Hormuz, but reject Iranian control of the waterway, multiple US and regional officials have told Middle East Eye.
The difference between the two positions is a nuanced one, officials briefed on the matter told MEE, but it is important as fighting flares between the US and Iran again.
US President Donald Trump is also signalling he expects economic compensation for the US providing security in the waterway.
“For some Gulf states, a toll doesn’t really matter. Financially, it is negligible to their bottom line. They want stability,” one US official told MEE.
“What the Gulf doesn’t want is Iran to have veto power over who can exit and enter the strait. They don’t want Iran to be able to flip a switch. The toll or payment is insignificant,” a separate official in the region told MEE.
