Oman assured the US it will not charge fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz - Bessent
Kyiv • UNN
Oman has assured the US that it has no plans to introduce fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz. This follows threats of sanctions from Trump and Bessent.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Thursday that he received assurances from Oman that the country has no plans to charge a fee for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, UNN reports citing CNN.
"I had a phone call with the Omani ambassador this morning, and he assured me that there are no plans to introduce a fee for passage through the strait," Bessent told reporters at a White House briefing.
"As he said, our countries have 200 years of good relations. He wants to have another 200 years, and, you know, I told him that this is a non-starter, and he doesn't want to risk having either Omani citizens or Omani financial institutions under sanctions," Bessent said.
Context
Earlier on Thursday, Bessent threatened Treasury Department measures against Oman if it supported Iran in introducing a fee for passage through the strait. And on Wednesday, President Donald Trump warned Oman against interfering with this critical oil route, stating: "Oman will behave just like the rest, or we'll have to blow them up."
When asked about Trump's comments, Bessent stated on Thursday that "the president wanted to emphasize the freedom of navigation in the strait."