Iran to Impose Tariffs on Strait of Hormuz, Friendly Nations to Receive Special Treatment

Iran’s Ambassador to China has confirmed that new tariffs will be imposed on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, an idea firmly rejected by Washington, though he assured that ‘friendly’ nations would receive special treatment. Under an initial agreement reached between Iran and the United States to end their war, commercial vessels will traverse the strait free of charge for 60 days. However, it remains unclear what will apply after that period.

Iran’s Ambassador to China, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, stated that his country is working and collaborating with Oman on new arrangements for the vital waterway. ‘As a country where Hormuz is part of its territorial waters, we will certainly charge a service fee,’ Fazli said at the World Peace Forum in Beijing, according to AFP. He stressed that the charge is not a ‘toll levy.’

‘The new arrangement will relate to guaranteeing the security of shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz, monitoring ship traffic lanes… and also ensuring and handling the environmental consequences of the large number of vessels,’ he said. ‘We will certainly consider special treatment for countries that are friendly to us and specifically supported us during difficult times,’ he added.

The strait typically sees the passage of one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas, but was almost completely closed by Iran during the Middle East war, causing energy prices to soar. Iran lifted the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after reaching a preliminary agreement with the US to end the Middle East war. Negotiations on a permanent settlement to the conflict are currently ongoing.