Iran Demands Shipping Fees as Trump Claims Control of Hormuz

The Government of Iran is demanding the imposition of shipping fees on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to fund the remediation of marine ecosystem degradation. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei cited a recent oil spill near Qeshm Island, allegedly caused by a foreign bulk carrier, as justification for the charges. Baqaei argued that nations consuming regional energy and military actors bear a legal and moral obligation to compensate for environmental harm in the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman.

Simultaneously, Mohsen Rezaei, head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, declared the strait will remain closed until the United States ends its blockade, releases frozen Iranian assets, and agrees to a region-wide ceasefire including Gaza and Lebanon. Iranian military officials, including Basij head Hossein Taeb, asserted that the Islamic Republic maintains full management of the waterway.

President Donald Trump rejected Iran's claims of control and the proposed fees, asserting that the United States has total control over the strait. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright reported that U.S. military operations and cooperation with Gulf allies have increased oil flow to nearly 9 million barrels per day. The dispute follows a period of instability marked by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran in February and the collapse of a June memorandum of understanding regarding freedom of navigation.