Washington DC, May 28: United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday issued a sharp warning to Oman over reports that it may be working with Iran to establish a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz, stressing that Washington “will not tolerate” any such attempt to regulate or monetise the strategic waterway.
In a post on X, Bessent said the US would take “strict action” against any actors involved in facilitating the proposed mechanism, naming Oman directly in his warning.“The United States Government will not tolerate any effort to impose a tolling system in the Strait of Hormuz. Oman, in particular, should know that the U.S. Treasury will aggressively target any actors involved directly or indirectly in facilitating tolls for the Strait, and any willing partners will be penalised. All nations should reject outright any efforts by Iran to disrupt the free flow of commerce,” he wrote.
Bessent also urged the international community to resist what he described as Iran’s attempts to destabilise maritime trade routes, adding that “Tehran’s days of terrorising the region and the world are over.”The Strait of Hormuz one of the world’s most critical energy choke points has remained a focal point of US-Iran tensions throughout the regional conflict due to its pivotal role in global oil and gas shipments.
The warning comes a day after US President Donald Trump cautioned Oman against intervening in negotiations concerning the waterway, dismissing proposals for a temporary arrangement that would grant Iran and Oman administrative influence over the corridor.“Oman will behave just like everybody else, or we’ll have to blow ’em up,” Trump said.
New Sanctions Target Iran’s PGSAOn Wednesday, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced fresh sanctions on Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), accusing Tehran of using the body to “extort” commercial vessels transiting the Strait and diverting revenue to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
The designation places the PGSA on the Treasury’s Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list under Washington’s intensified “Economic Fury” campaign.According to the Treasury, the PGSA—established by Tehran to manage transit requests—works directly with the IRGC and the IRGC Navy to impose “illegitimate tolls” on international maritime traffic.“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash,” Bessent said in an official statement.
Iran and Oman Defend Maritime Safety InitiativeEarlier this week, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei confirmed that Iran and Oman were coordinating efforts to create a maritime safety mechanism for ships transiting the Strait. He described the initiative as a “responsible step” and argued that fees related to safety and environmental services were “natural.”
Last week, Iran announced the establishment of a new regulatory body to oversee operations in the Strait of Hormuz. The Supreme National Security Council also amplified the launch of the PGSA’s official X account, positioning it as a platform for real-time updates on maritime developments.“The official X account of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) is now live. Follow us for real-time updates on Hormuz Strait operations and latest developments,” the Authority said in its inaugural post.