Some leading European powers now accept that ships transiting the vital Strait of Hormuz will have to pay fees to Iran and Oman, according to people familiar with the matter.

The prospect of some sort of service fee in the aftermath of the U.S. and Israeli war with the Islamic Republic was described as a given by two of the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.

Privately, some Gulf Arab officials hold the same view, they said, though this is not necessarily the formal position of their governments.