Iran has rejected a French-Omani push to coordinate mine-clearing work in the Strait of Hormuz, opening a new dispute over who controls the cleanup of one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
The disagreement broke into the open Monday after French President Emmanuel Macron said France and Oman had agreed to work with partners on mine clearance in the strait. Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded that demining would be carried out “solely by Iran and by no other country,” according to Al-Monitor.
The fight is bigger than a technical cleanup job. It goes to the heart of the U.S.-Iran memorandum now being tested after fresh vessel attacks, renewed U.S. strikes, and contradictory claims over talks in Qatar. If Iran controls the mine-clearing process, Tehran keeps leverage over when and how commercial ships return. If outside navies or partner states are involved, the reopening becomes more internationalized and harder for Iran to manage alone.
What France And Oman Announced
Macron made the announcement after meeting Omani Sultan Haitham bin Tarik in Paris, during the first official visit by an Omani ruler to France since 1989. “We have decided to work jointly, together with our partners, on mine clearance in the strait to secure maritime routes and guarantee free and unconditional passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” Macron said, according to Xinhua.
That language matters because France has been pushing for free navigation without tolls, transit fees, or Iranian control over chokepoint access. Al-Monitor reported that Paris fears Iran and Oman could eventually reach an arrangement to administer the strait in a way that includes maritime service charges, even if those are not formally called tolls.
Oman has publicly said it is not in favor of imposing transit fees. But Omani officials have also distinguished tolls from possible voluntary payments for navigation, environmental, and emergency-response services, according to the same report.
Iran Says Only Tehran Can Clear The Mines
Iran’s response was blunt. Gharibabadi said the Strait of Hormuz is a “sensitive and complex” issue and warned France against “provocations.” Reporting carried by Yeni Safak said he argued that mine-clearing remains under Iranian authority through the memorandum’s terms and the sovereign rights of coastal states.
He also said Iran and Oman are working on new administrative arrangements for navigation through the strait, with expert-level talks expected in the coming weeks. That creates a second track: one where France and Oman discuss mine clearance with partners, and another where Iran and Oman negotiate future route management.
The timing is ugly. CBS News, citing live updates and agency reporting, said Strait of Hormuz traffic dropped sharply over the weekend after a vessel was struck, with 29 commodity vessels crossing Saturday and only 12 on Sunday, based on Kpler data. That was down from 70 crossings last Wednesday after the U.S.-Iran memorandum briefly improved transit conditions.
Why This Is A New Test For The Deal
The U.S.-Iran framework was supposed to move the crisis from open conflict toward managed implementation. Instead, every practical question is becoming a pressure point: who clears mines, who verifies routes, who controls navigation rules, and whether Iran can attach conditions to passage through a waterway used by global energy markets.
For shipping companies, the issue is not diplomatic wording. It is whether vessels can move through Hormuz without being caught between Iranian warnings, Western security plans, and fresh attack risk. For Washington and Europe, the fear is that a temporary reopening could turn into a permanent Iranian bargaining chip.
That makes the France-Oman plan more than a side announcement. It is the first public clash over who physically secures the Strait of Hormuz after the latest attacks. If Tehran blocks outside involvement, the mine-clearing timetable could become another major fault line in the already fragile Iran crisis.