The provision is part of Article 3 of a proposed bill titled the “Strategic Action for Securing and Advancing the Strait of Hormuz.”
Under the measure, Iran would charge authorized vessels for a range of services provided during their passage through the strategic waterway. These would include maritime navigation services, environmental services, fuel supplies in special circumstances, insurance-related services, safety services and other assistance provided to transiting vessels.
The fees would be collected in Iranian Rials or in any other currency designated by the Islamic Republic, according to the commission spokesman Hassan Qashqavi.
The proposal comes amid heightened international attention to the management of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy corridor linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. Recent reports have indicated that Iran has been seeking payments from vessels transiting the waterway as part of a broader system for regulating passage and providing maritime services.
The proposed legislation would provide a formal domestic framework for charging vessels for services associated with their passage.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints, making any changes to the rules governing commercial shipping through the waterway closely watched by international shipping and energy markets.
Hossein Amiri - Hossein Vaez
