Iran Plans Transit Fees for Strait of Hormuz

The Government of Iran announced plans to implement service fees for commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, claiming the waterway is part of its territorial waters. Iranian Ambassador to China Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli detailed the plan at the World Peace Forum in Beijing, stating the fees would fund security, vessel supervision, and environmental management. He specified that China and other friendly nations would receive special considerations. These measures are being developed through a joint committee with the Government of Oman.

The announcement contradicts a June 17 memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, which established a 60-day toll-free window following a four-month war involving the U.S. and Israel. U.S. President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio maintain that the strait must remain unrestricted, with Trump warning that the imposition of fees would halt peace negotiations.

Tensions have escalated as the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attempts to monopolize control over the waterway. Iranian forces have harassed shipping and turned back at least eight vessels that attempted to use a U.S.-backed route along the Omani coast, demanding they use Iranian-authorized paths instead. In response, the U.S. Central Command conducted strikes on Iranian military sites in Sirik, leading to Iranian retaliatory attacks on U.S. bases in Kuwait and Bahrain.

While shipping traffic is slowly recovering and OPEC Plus has increased pumping to stabilize oil prices, western navies warn that the strait remains risky and partially mined. France and the United Kingdom have expressed readiness to deploy a multinational military mission to ensure freedom of navigation.