According to a report by Xinhua News Agency, citing Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency, Iran is collecting an average service fee of $1.5 million to $2 million (approximately 2.3 billion to 3 billion won) per vessel transiting the Hormuz Strait. Fars quoted Mohsen Zanganeh, a member of the Iranian Parliament's Budget and Planning Committee, stating, "Iran has officially started implementing its plan to collect service fees from ships passing through the Hormuz Strait."
This decision follows an announcement by the Iranian Parliament to establish a management plan for the Hormuz waterway. Ali Nikzad, the Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, revealed last month that a 12-point plan for managing the Hormuz waterway is being developed at the parliamentary level.
Fars also reported that an organization has been established under the supervision of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) to collaborate with the Iranian Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance. The collected funds will be deposited into the Iranian treasury for designated purposes. Some payments are expected to be made in Tether (USDT), a dollar-pegged cryptocurrency, as well as through cash and barter transactions.
Iran justifies the fee as not merely a toll but as compensation for maritime and environmental services. Iranian environmental authorities are reportedly drafting regulations to impose vessel fees under the guise of providing environmental services in the Hormuz Strait.
In response to Iran's increased maritime control, the United States has ramped up its pressure. The U.S. Central Command announced in April that it would enforce a maritime blockade on vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports. However, this does not constitute a complete blockade of the Hormuz Strait but is specifically aimed at ships entering Iranian ports.
The Hormuz Strait is a crucial maritime route connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. With Iran's fee collection now in full swing, the situation in Hormuz has evolved from a potential military conflict to a factor influencing shipping costs and energy prices.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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