The U.S. Treasury has issued a stark warning that it will not tolerate any toll system in the Strait of Hormuz, explicitly threatening sanctions against any Omani entities involved.
This announcement isn't a surprise; it's the latest move in a long-running 'maximum pressure' campaign designed to cut off Iran's revenue streams. For months, Washington has been tightening its financial grip, aiming to prevent Tehran from monetizing the world's most critical oil chokepoint.
The immediate trigger for this escalation is twofold. First, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) began testing a 'tolled passage' in March, a direct challenge to free navigation. Second, and more directly, Iran recently claimed it was coordinating with Oman on managing the strait, including collecting fees. This claim put Oman squarely in Washington's crosshairs, prompting Treasury Secretary Bessent’s targeted warning.
At its core, this is an economic battle driven by inflation fears at home. Volatility in the Strait directly translates to higher energy prices. In April and May, Brent crude prices surged over 26% at one point, contributing to a significant jump in the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI). With gasoline prices already up 42% year-over-year, the U.S. administration cannot afford to let a permanent 'Hormuz toll' become a new, embedded cost for global oil shipments.
To enforce this red line, the U.S. is using a combination of direct sanctions and diplomatic pressure. It recently sanctioned Iran’s newly created 'Persian Gulf Strait Authority' and has secured private agreement from China to oppose the tolls. This isolates Iran and makes it much riskier for any third country, like Oman, to facilitate payments, as they would face crippling 'secondary sanctions'.
In essence, the specific threat against Oman is a calculated move to close a potential loophole. By putting potential financial intermediaries on notice, the U.S. aims to make any toll system logistically and financially unworkable for Iran.
- Secondary Sanctions: Penalties imposed by one country on third-party countries or entities to stop them from trading with the primary target country.
- Strait of Hormuz: A narrow waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, through which about a fifth of the world's oil supply passes.
- IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps): A branch of Iran's armed forces founded after the Iranian Revolution.