British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron said Oman had agreed to work with Britain and France to ensure the Strait of Hormuz remained open.
"The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for the global economy, and the restoration of the safe passage of ships of all countries through the strait is of global concern," according to the British news agency PA Media.
"Britain and France are ready to deploy a multinational military mission to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz," the statement said, explaining that "the Sultanate of Oman has agreed to work with the United Kingdom and France to ensure that its sovereign territorial waters are safe for navigation."
"The UK and France reaffirm their shared commitment to regional stability and respect for the sovereignty of all states and their readiness to maintain close cooperation with their partners in order to uphold global security, freedom of navigation and international law," he said.
Intelligence Reports: Oman agrees in coordination with Tehran
The statement did not elaborate on the details of the Omani-French-British consensus, but intelligence reports confirmed that Oman's approval came after background consultations with Tehran to ensure that the move is not interpreted as a hostile move against Iranian sovereignty, and that the agreement is likely to push towards the implementation of a model similar to the "Strait of Malacca" to manage the corridor through a joint contribution fund for maritime services, which gives Europeans a legal justification to pay service fees without violating the law of the sea.
Oman has reportedly informed Western allies that a return to the pre-war situation is impossible, and that it is considering the Strait of Malacca model in Asia as a joint regulatory mechanism for the management of the sea lane to ensure international acceptance and reflect the new security reality in the region.
Yesterday, Bloomberg revealed that unnamed European countries have agreed to pay service fees to both Iran and the Sultanate of Oman for the passage of commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz, in a remarkable political shift imposed by the repercussions of the recent military confrontation between the United States and Israel on the one hand, and Iran on the other.
Consensus on the reproduction of the Malacca model
Muscat is seeking to apply the "Strait of Malacca and Singapore" model in the management of the Strait of Hormuz, which is a common maritime framework based on the collection of voluntary contributions in exchange for clear navigational services, away from any formula similar to "traffic taxes" prohibited by the law of the international sea.
The model is based on the fact that ships do not pay for the right of way, but for specific operational services such as combating marine pollution, maintenance of beacons and guiding buoys, rescue and emergency response operations, and maritime safety and security, with these contributions pooled through a voluntary fund involving beneficiary countries and shipping companies, such as the fund managed by Japan's Nippon Foundation in Malacca.
The model requires joint coordination between the countries bordering the corridor, which in the case of Hormuz means direct cooperation between Oman and Iran to manage and protect navigation.
Macron pulls Charles de Gaulle from the Middle East
On Friday evening, Macron announced the return of the aircraft carrier "Charles de Gaulle" to the port of Toulon, in southern France, after weeks of being stationed in the Middle East, while keeping French naval means dedicated to demining near the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on the "X" platform, Macron said that France "has deployed in the Middle East demining means" that include, in particular, "two minesweepers, accompanied by two frigates and a naval surveillance aircraft," adding that these means are "ready to contribute, together with our partners, to the full resumption of navigation and to ensure the security of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz."
The French president explained that he made his decision after "constructive talks" with the Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tariq, who visited Paris and met with Macron last Monday, and in light of the "changing needs" in the region, linking the adjustment of the French military deployment in the region to the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran on June 17, which he considered to be an "important progress" in the interest of regional stability.
The aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle is returning to its anchorage in Toulon, while French demining and naval escorts remain deployed in the region and "ready to intervene" with Paris partners, he said, adding that France "remains ready and will continue to adapt its means to the development of the situation and security needs in the region".
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