Iran Plans Legislation to Impose Tolls in the Strait of Hormuz

The Iranian government seeks to legalise the collection of fees from ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz as a source of national revenue, according to parliament member Mohammadreza Rezaei Kouchi. “We want to draft a law that establishes sovereignty, dominance, and control over the Strait of Hormuz as the legal basis for imposing tolls,” Kouchi said on Thursday (26/3), as quoted by Tasnim news agency. He added that an initial draft has been prepared, though it has not yet become an official proposal. According to Kouchi, these tolls are necessary to ensure the safety of ships crossing the shipping route between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. The draft will be discussed further before being submitted in an open parliamentary session. Previously, on 24 March, Bloomberg reported that Iran has begun imposing fees of up to 2 million US dollars (approximately Rp33.8 billion) on commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Vahid Jalalzadeh stated that the government is preparing new rules for the Strait of Hormuz, which will be implemented after the conflict ends and are planned to be coordinated with Oman. On 28 February, the United States and Israel launched attacks on several targets in Iran, including in Tehran, causing damage and killing civilians. Iran then retaliated by attacking Israeli territory and US military facilities in the Middle East. This escalation has led to a de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, the main shipping route for oil and liquefied natural gas from Gulf countries to global markets. The disruption has also affected oil exports and production in the region and driven up global energy prices. Tehran has stated that ships from countries other than the US and Israel can still pass through the Strait of Hormuz.