Dear Editors,

We refer to your articles After U.S.-Iran War, Oman Said to Propose Hormuz Fee Plan published in The New York Times (30 June) and US ally proposes teaming up with Iran to charge Strait of Hormuz toll — despite strong opposition published in New York Post (30 June) on proposals relating to transit through the Strait of Hormuz, which made reference to the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) as a point of comparison.

While we note that the references were attributed to statements made by various officials, they were not entirely accurate, and there is opportunity to give your readers a clearer understanding of the legal framework governing Straits Used for International Navigation (SUINs). We therefore wish to clarify and provide additional context for your consideration. To facilitate an update, we have highlighted below the key factual points that we hope may be reflected in the relevant portions of the article:

"Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and customary international law, the right of transit passage through SUINs is a right enjoyed by all ships and cannot be impeded. Like the Strait of Hormuz, the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS) is a SUIN. Accordingly, the three littoral States of Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore do not impose fees, tolls, or any form of payment on ships exercising their right of transit passage through the SOMS.

It is also helpful if the references to the Cooperative Mechanism and the Aids to Navigation Fund (ANF) could also be described along the following lines:

"The Cooperative Mechanism, established by the three littoral States, supports navigational safety and environmental protection in the SOMS. Its Aids to Navigation Fund is supported through voluntary financial contributions from non-profit organisations such as The Nippon Foundation and the International Foundation for Aids to Navigation, as well as industry stakeholders and States with an interest in the safe and efficient use of the Straits.", and that

"The Aids to Navigation Fund is administered by a committee comprising representatives from the three littoral States and the contributors. These voluntary financial contributions are used to support the provision and maintenance of critical navigational aids in the SOMS. Importantly, they are entirely separate from the exercise of transit passage and should not be misconstrued as fees, tolls or payment imposed on transiting ships".

Given the importance of ensuring that readers receive an accurate account of the legal regime governing the SOMS, we would appreciate it if you could update the relevant portions of the article to reflect these facts.