U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that Oman has no plans to impose tolls on the Strait of Hormuz [1].
The assurance comes amid heightened tensions over the strategic maritime chokepoint, where any disruption to shipping could destabilize global energy markets and trigger military escalation.
Bessent shared the update during a White House press briefing in Washington, D.C. [1]. He said that he spoke with Talal Alrahbi, the Omani ambassador to Washington, earlier that day [2].
"I had a call with the Omani ambassador this morning, and he assured me that there were no plans for tolling the strait," Bessent said [2].
Ambassador Alrahbi said that there are no plans for tolling the strait [3].
The diplomatic exchange followed a stark warning from President Donald Trump. The president previously said that the U.S. would have to "blow them up" if Oman entered into an agreement with Iran to share control of the waterway [4].
Reports on the origin of the tolling proposal vary. Some reports suggest Oman had a toll plan that it dropped following the president's threat [3], while other sources state Oman simply has no such plans [1].
Oman has traditionally maintained a role as a neutral mediator in the region. The Strait of Hormuz remains the world's most important oil transit chokepoint, a critical artery for global trade.
“"I had a call with the Omani ambassador this morning, and he assured me that there were no plans for tolling the strait."”
The interaction highlights the current administration's use of aggressive rhetoric to secure maritime freedom of navigation. By explicitly threatening Oman to prevent a tolling agreement with Iran, the U.S. aims to ensure that the Strait of Hormuz remains open without financial or political leverage being exerted by regional adversaries.
