Oman opens temporary Strait of Hormuz shipping routes with no tolls Oman has said it will keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping without imposing any tolls, adding that it has designated two temporary routes north and south of the existing shipping lane to facilitate the safe passage of vessels departing the region. In coordination with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Oman established temporary maritime corridors to help ships leave the area safely. Iran has effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz - through which a fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas passes - since the US-Israeli war began on 28 February.  In a notice to mariners, Oman said the existing Traffic Separation Scheme in the strategic waterway was currently unsafe for use and that vessels departing through the strait could instead use temporary routes located to the north and south of the existing shipping lanes.