Iran vows to collect Strait of Hormuz tolls, hints at exemptions for friendly nations

Iran has reaffirmed its plan to impose transit fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, stepping up pressure on Western nations even as it continues follow-up negotiations with the United States after signing a memorandum of understanding on ending the war. The move is stoking fresh tension in international shipping and energy markets, particularly after Tehran signaled preferential treatment for friendly nations such as China.

Iran's ambassador to China, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, said at the World Peace Forum in Beijing on Friday (local time), according to Bloomberg and AFP, that Iran would collect service fees in the strait. "As a country whose territorial waters include the Strait of Hormuz, we will definitely impose service fees," he said.

Fazli said the charges were not simply a transit toll. "It is compensation for guaranteeing the safety of passing vessels, overseeing navigation, and addressing the environmental impact of large-scale ship operations," he said.

Particularly notable was his suggestion of a tiered system for allied nations. "We will definitely consider special treatment for countries that have been friendly to us and particularly stood by us in difficult times," Fazli said, adding that "China is clearly a friendly country."

The remarks came amid an intense standoff between the United States and Iran over the normalization of Strait of Hormuz passage.

Despite Washington's offer to make the issue a bargaining chip in negotiations, Iran has not abandoned its demand to collect Hormuz transit fees estimated at $40 billion a year, according to foreign media reports.

Vessel-tracking data showed ships attempting to exit the Persian Gulf via the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz made emergency U-turns between Thursday and Friday (local time), Bloomberg reported.

More than eight vessels — including oil tankers, bulk carriers and car carriers — reversed course, Bloomberg said. Of those, four changed their routes and exited the Persian Gulf through a passage closer to the Iranian coast: one crude oil tanker, two petroleum product tankers and one bulk carrier.

The exact reason the ships turned back has not been confirmed.

Iran has repeatedly insisted that vessels must pass through the strait only via routes it has designated, and has issued radio warnings to ships attempting to use other passages.

Some vessels that ignored Iran's warnings and continued sailing were reportedly attacked by Iranian forces.

Since June 29, an average of about 34 commodity-carrying vessels per day have transited the Strait of Hormuz, according to Bloomberg. That is a marked increase from levels seen during the war, but still well short of the volume recorded before the conflict began on Feb. 28.

Between June 30 and July 1, 65 vessels transited the strait along the Omani route, of which 59 received US support, according to data from the Joint Maritime Information Center, a US-led multinational naval coordination body in the Middle East.