Ships are shown off the coast of Khor Fakkan Container Terminal, the only natural deep-sea port in the region and one of the largest ports in Sharjah Emirate, near the Gulf of Oman on June 28, 2026. (AFP Photo via Getty Images) /
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Oman has agreed to work with the UK and France to ensure the Gulf country’s waters are safe for navigation, the UK said on Saturday, as oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz continue as the US and Iran signed a deal last month to reopen the vital sea route.
“The UK and France are also ready to send a Multinational Military Mission to support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a joint statement with French President Emmanuel Macron.
“The Strait of Hormuz is an important route for the world economy. Restoring the safe passage of ships of all nations through the Strait is a matter of global concern,” the statement read.
France said it had used anti-mine measures in the Middle East, including two mine-hunting ships.
“Accompanied by two frigates and a maritime patrol aircraft, these assets are ready to contribute, together with our partners, to the resumption of navigation and ensuring the safety of traffic in the Strait of Hormuz,” Macron said in a statement to X.
The UK, France and more than a dozen other countries said in May they would support freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz under the Multinational Military Mission for the waterway.
Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to CNBC’s email request for comment on Saturday.
A key mediator
Located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula, opposite Iran across the river, Oman has been in joint talks with Iran on a new maritime security order, amid reports that the two countries may force the establishment of a transit fee.
Oman has said any deal would be in line with international law, although the prospect of a financial system in the waterway that normally carries around 20% of the world’s oil has sparked an uproar.
The Gulf nation has acted as an important mediator in the region’s problems and remains one of the few countries trusted by Tehran and Washington, who are determined to ensure that the flow of the strait resumes after it was blocked during the war, which caused a decline in international power.
The Sultan of Oman, Haitham bin Tarik, met Starmer in London on Thursday. The two talked about de-escalating the conflict in the Middle East and “safeguarding maritime traffic in Gulf waters”, the Omani news agency said in an X post.
The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 to end nearly four months of war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and set up 60 days of talks for a permanent peace deal.
Oil exports have increased since then. Saudi Arabia has shipped about 34 million barrels of oil through Hormuz since June 17, according to data from the intelligence firm Kpler. Riyadh’s exports in the two weeks to July 2 were more than double the 15 million barrels the kingdom shipped from March 9 to June 17.
Benchmark Brent crude oil prices are down 39% from their peak in March.
Brent crude oil price per barrel, year to date.
The US is strongly opposed to any tolls in the Strait of Hormuz.
In the past, the administration of US President Donald Trump has threatened “violence” to impose sanctions against Oman if it appears to be helping Iran establish a tariff system.
“All nations must reject any attempt by Iran to disrupt the free flow of commerce,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an email on May 28.
Under the terms of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding, Tehran cannot charge the ships during the 60-day negotiations for a permanent solution.
In an interview with CNBC on Thursday, Trump said “no ship came to Iran,” suggesting that the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran war did not go into effect.
“It was an iron wall,” he said.
However, according to the shipping industry information service Lloyd’s List, the ban is violated many times by “Iranian shadow ships.”
Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Tuesday that Iran has exported more than 40 million barrels of crude oil since the US lifted its blockade of Iranian ports, and is now selling oil at prices nearly 20% higher than before the war.
