New Delhi made its position clear: the strait is an international waterway under UNCLOS rules. No permits, no crew disclosures, no “protection fees” for Indian vessels.
The shipping channels in the Strait, are, in fact, almost entirely in Omani territorial waters - which has rarely been mentioned, if at all. One wonders how much back channel discussions are going on between the Omanis and Iranians, given their historical diplomatic relationship. Sayyid
Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi is a canny operator, and likely to have direct links with Iran.