Iranian state media and officials said Tehran may impose maritime service fees in the Strait of Hormuz after a 60-day toll-free period, while President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance said the U.S. expects the waterway to remain open without tolls.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Iranian state media and senior officials are claiming Tehran may be able to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz under the U.S.-Iran peace framework, creating an immediate dispute over one of the most important unresolved details of the agreement.
Iran’s state-run Fars News Agency cited a “knowledgeable source” Monday who said the deal includes what the source described as the first U.S. acceptance of Iran’s right to collect fees for maritime services in the strait.
According to the source, language emphasizing Iranian-Omani sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz was added in the final moments of negotiations. Oman sits across the waterway from Iran and is expected by Tehran to play a role in the future administration of maritime services there.
The source told Fars that the revisions mean Iran and Oman would determine the future management of maritime services in the strait and that the United States had effectively accepted Iran’s right to collect related service fees after a 60-day period of toll-free passage.
“This principle is repeated elsewhere in the text. Iran will accept the passage of ships without charge only for 60 days. This means the United States has accepted the principle of collecting fees, while securing only a 60-day exemption from Iran,” the source said.
The Fars report said Iran is framing the proposed charges as fees connected to “safety, navigation, environmental, and insurance services” rather than transit tolls. The report also claimed Iran has secured support from Oman’s government for the arrangement.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei made similar comments Monday, saying Iran intends to charge what he described as a “maritime service fee” for ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We have always maintained that we do not seek to collect transit tolls, but fees for navigation services, environmental protection, ship insurance and other necessary services will be charged,” Baghaei said.
The remarks echo comments made Friday by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who said Tehran had decided that management of the strategic waterway would change after the war.
Araghchi said Iran has “made a firm decision that the administration of the strategic waterway would no longer be the same as before the war.”
He said Iran would begin charging “fees for services provided to ships,” describing them as services Tehran has previously provided without charge. Araghchi also said a joint statement from Iran and Oman about the proposed fees would be released soon.
The Iranian claims appear to conflict with Trump’s public description of the deal. Trump said Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz would be “permanently toll-free” under the agreement.
Vice President JD Vance also said Monday that the administration expects the strait to reopen without tolls for the long term, though he acknowledged that the final details still need to be resolved in technical talks.
“Our expectation is that the strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long term, and that’s the sort of thing that we’re going to figure out in these technical negotiations,” Vance told CNBC.
“There are a lot of very important details to figure out. We’re actually going to sit at the table and discuss together and figure out a path forward on these details,” he added.
The competing statements underscore how unsettled the agreement remains even after both sides announced progress toward reopening the waterway. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important shipping routes, and any fee system, toll structure or dispute over maritime authority could affect global energy markets.
Iran is presenting the issue as a matter of sovereign administration and maritime services, while U.S. officials are publicly describing the goal as long-term toll-free passage. The matter is expected to be addressed in the next round of technical negotiations.
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