Oman is pushing back against American pressure to cut its links with Iran, insisting its engagement with Tehran has been focused solely on negotiating a future management framework for the Strait of Hormuz (the narrow waterway connecting the Gulf to the Arabian Sea, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil passes) that complies with international law. Washington has grown suspicious after Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested Oman was "flirting" with Iran's controversial scheme to charge ships for passage through the strait — a plan the IMO (International Maritime Organization) has said has no legal basis. Oman's ambassador to Washington has sought to reassure US officials that the sultanate firmly upholds freedom of navigation and opposes tolls, though tensions remain as Iran presses ahead with its Persian Gulf Strait Authority, which requires vessels to seek permits before transit.