Iran Wants To Charge Fees For Passage Through The Hormuz Strait. Some Gulf Countries Back a Voluntary Scheme

Gulf states have backed a proposal that would allow Iran to charge fees to vessels going through the Strait of Hormuz if the payments are made voluntarily, according to a new report.

Reuters detailed that Oman, which controls the opposite shore of the strait, has won the backing of other Gulf states for the plan as negotiations between the countries appear to continue.

The proposal would be similar to that in place at the Strait of Malacca, where Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore ask ships to give voluntary donations for, among other things, environmental protection and search-and-rescue operation.

Hostilities around the waterway have ceased since last Friday after President Donald Trump decided to halt them to give diplomacy a chance. However, he also warned of "very strong military action" against Iran if talks between the countries are unfruitful.

Speaking to Axios on Monday, Trump said the U.S. is in "very deep talks" with Tehran but promised to escalate significantly if they don't yield results soon.

Asked how long he will give for diplomacy, he replied: "Not much time. Either it goes fast or not at all."

The U.S. has not conducted new attacks since Friday, leading Iran to hold its own military action, which has targeted different Gulf countries.

Axios detailed in another report that Brad Cooper, the commander of the U.S. Military Central Command (CENTCOM), said the current campaign hit its limit of effectiveness.

The outlet noted that Cooper recommended the U.S. stop bombing Iranian assets around the Strait of Hormuz as a result, playing a role in President Donald Trump's decision to halt attacks.

"All of the people that deal with Iran asked me: 'Don't fire,'" Trump told Axios on Monday, noting that he believes Tehran wants to make a deal.

However, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran is not seeking more talks with the U.S.

Speaking in a press conference on Monday, Baghaei said the country had not asked to resume talks because it is not on the country's "DNA."

He went on to say that Tehran still controls the Strait of Hormuz, where it has been targeting ships that do not coordinate passage with its forces.