Iran has reportedly discussed a plan to collect billions of dollars in fees tied to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, but U.S. and Gulf officials say transit fees through the international waterway will not be accepted.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Iran is reportedly exploring a plan to collect major new fees from ships moving through the Strait of Hormuz, raising fresh concerns over freedom of navigation in one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Tehran believes a system of charges tied to security, safety and environmental services around oil shipping could generate as much as $40 billion a year for countries that participate in the arrangement.
Iranian officials have reportedly promoted the idea to Persian Gulf neighbors and China, arguing that management of the Strait of Hormuz “will never return to the way it was before” after the recent U.S.-Iran conflict.
The proposal would mark a significant change for the waterway, where international shipping has historically moved without tolls under long-standing maritime norms.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio rejected the idea Thursday while visiting Bahrain, saying Iran has no right to impose charges on vessels using an international passage, CBS News reported.
“The reality is that no country on Earth has the right to charge for the use of international waterways,” Rubio said. “That will never be an acceptable condition of any deal.”
Oman’s foreign minister, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, also said after meeting with Rubio and Gulf counterparts that any future arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz “will not involve imposing any transit fees.”
President Donald Trump addressed the issue Wednesday, saying Iranian officials had assured the United States that no new shipping charges were being sought.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said Iran had told Washington it was seeking “no tolls, no insurance costs & no other charges of any kind” for ships traveling through the strait.
Trump warned that if reports of proposed fees were accurate, negotiations with Tehran would end “immediately.”
The Strait of Hormuz carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil supply, making the narrow passage one of the most strategically sensitive shipping lanes in the world. Traffic has started recovering after the recent conflict, though some commercial operators remain cautious.
According to the Journal, Iran has already created an insurance company that it says vessels should use when crossing the strait. Tehran has also introduced new registration procedures requiring ships to notify authorities two days before transit.
Maritime law experts told the newspaper that Iran would face major legal obstacles if it attempted to collect such fees.
Turkey has a unique ability to collect certain fees in the Dardanelles under a 1936 international treaty, but experts said a new service-fee system in the Strait of Hormuz would likely require broad international approval through the International Maritime Organization.
The Trump administration has said freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains non-negotiable as talks with Iran continue.
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