Iran says it will charge fees for transits through the Strait of Hormuz
Tehran says it will charge commercial vessels for maritime services while coordinating security and environmental monitoring with Oman.
Iran said it intends to charge fees to commercial vessels that transit the Strait of Hormuz, the country’s Foreign Ministry in Tehran announced today.
Spokesperson Esmail Bagei told Iranian outlets that Tehran is working with Oman on "mechanisms to monitor security, protect the environment and fight maritime crime." He said the two countries are coordinating systems for those functions in the waterway.
"Fees and charges will be levied for the maritime services provided to ships," Bagei added, describing the planned payments as compensation for services rendered to passing vessels.
Regional dispute and recent escalation
Diplomatic and legal disagreement over transit rights in the strait — a vital international route for oil, gas and fertilizer shipments — is regarded as a major driver behind the recent military escalation between Washington and Tehran.
Navigation through the strait was largely uninterrupted, without tolls or formal transit charges, before the United States and Israel began military action against Iran on 28 February. At its narrowest point the Strait of Hormuz measures roughly 39 kilometres.
Both Iran and Oman assert the full 12 nautical miles (22.2 kilometres) permitted by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as their territorial waters, which means there are effectively no waters in the strait classified as international. UNCLOS, however, guarantees a right of transit passage and forbids the blockade of commercial shipping — a legal position Tehran does not accept.
The United States, Vice President J.D. Vance said yesterday, aims to restore oil and gas transit through the strait to pre-war levels. Bagei also replied to a comment made yesterday by U.S. President Donald Trump that Washington and Tehran are engaged in a "chess game." "Whether behind the scenes or in front of the spotlights, the Iranians have proven themselves to be professional chess players," the Foreign Ministry spokesman said.
Photo: press material from the event
