Iran to charge fees in Strait of Hormuz, hints at ‘special treatment’ for friendly nations

Iran is set to introduce new fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the busiest and most sensitive oil routes in the world. Iranian Ambassador to China Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli on Saturday (Jul 4) said that Iran is planning to begin charging a “service fees” for vessels using the waterway. He also hinted that not every country would be treated the same, assuring that “friendly nations” would receive “special treatment.”

Speaking at the World Peace Forum in Beijing, Fazli said that the idea is being worked out with Oman, which also shares responsibility for the region’s maritime traffic.

“As a country where the Hormuz is part of its territorial waters, we will definitely charge service fees,” Fazli said as per his translated remarks, insisting such fees would not be a “toll.”

“These new arrangements will be concerning guaranteeing the security of passage through the Straits of Hormuz, supervision of the passage of the vessels... and also guaranteeing and dealing with the environmental consequences of the massive number of ships,” he said.

“We will definitely consider special treatment for the countries that were friendly to us and specially stood by us during the hard times,” he added.

The United States has already pushed back against the idea, saying Iran should not be charging ships for using the route. A temporary deal after recent fighting had allowed vessels to pass freely for about 60 days, but that arrangement is now running out, and a permanent system hasn’t been agreed on.

The Strait of Hormuz is the only maritime outlet for ports located in the Persian Gulf, accounting for about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Its blockade during the hostilities in the region has significantly affected global energy supply, triggering a sharp rise in oil prices. The route has since reopened under a ceasefire agreement, but the bigger negotiations are still unresolved.