Tehran threatens to regulate ship passage through Hormuz based on fees and priority for those who pay

Tehran, Iran – In a new development that raises questions about the future of navigation in one of the world’s most important waterways, Iranian media quoted an official as saying that ship passage through the Strait of Hormuz may be subject to a system of fees and priorities in the future, with priority given, according to the statements, to those who pay the imposed fees.

The official indicated that the strait, through which a large portion of the world’s energy supplies pass, cannot be treated as an open, unregulated passage, adding that any future arrangements will take into account “the interests of the Iranian state” and its right to manage this vital waterway in a way that achieves economic and sovereign returns.

The statements have elicited mixed reactions in international circles, amid escalating tensions related to navigation in the Gulf and growing concerns about the impact of any unilateral actions on energy markets and global supply chains.