- Iran may impose fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz for security and services
- Charges will cover maritime security, environmental protection, and other related services
- Iran seeks to ensure secure passage and plans discussions with involved parties on fees
Iran may introduce fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, with the charges tied to security, environmental protection and other maritime services, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei.
“The Strait of Hormuz is very important for us, and we have adopted certain procedures according to international law in order to protect Iran's national security and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Baghaei said at a press conference, as reported by Al Jazeera.
He added that Tehran is seeking to ensure “a secure passage” through the vital waterway and requires time to discuss the proposal with other parties involved. “We need a certain period of time to discuss with the other sides this important matter,” he said.
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Baghaei said the proposed charges would be linked to services provided by Iran and Oman. “It's full services that will be offered in order to keep and maintain the environment. So many other services will be offered by Iran and Oman, and this will cost money. Accordingly, the fees will be there and this is clear,” he said.
US President Donald Trump said that ships are starting to move out of the Strait of Hormuz, and added that many are loaded up with oil, as per his post on Truth Social. He added that the southern "highway" of Hormuz is totally safe and secure, and further stated that there are also other areas of travel.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance also said that Washington expects the Strait of Hormuz to remain open and toll-free for the long term as part of its agreement with Iran, adding that the issue will be addressed in upcoming technical negotiations.
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“Our expectation is that the strait is going to be opened in a toll-free way for the long term, and that's the sort of thing that we're going to figure out in these technical negotiations,” Vance told CNBC on Monday.
According to CNBC, Vance said the Strait of Hormuz is already witnessing increased traffic and expressed confidence that the waterway will remain open over the long term. He also said the U.S.-Iran agreement includes a two-step verification mechanism and provides Washington with enforcement authority over Iran's nuclear programme.
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