- The Iranian envoy said ships transiting Hormuz will have to pay a service fee.
- Adds that Tehran is working with Oman on new arrangements for Hormuz.
- Hormuz Fees to Support Ship Safety and Supervision: Fazli.
Iran’s ambassador to China insisted on Saturday that new fees would be charged to ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz – an idea rejected by Washington – while assuring that “friendly” nations would receive special treatment.
The original deal between Iran and the United States to end their war stipulated that commercial ships would transit the strait for free for 60 days, but it remains unclear what will be in place after that period.
Iranian Ambassador Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli told the World Peace Forum in Beijing that his country was working in “collaboration and cooperation” with Oman on “new arrangements” for the vital waterway.
“As a country where Hormuz is part of its territorial waters, we will definitely charge a service fee,” Azli said in translated remarks, while insisting that the fee would not constitute a “toll.”
“These new provisions will concern ensuring the safety of passage through the Strait of Hormuz, supervising the passage of ships… and also ensuring and addressing the environmental consequences of the massive number of ships,” he said.
“We will certainly consider special treatment for countries that have been friends with us and particularly supported us in difficult times,” he added.
The strait normally carries a fifth of the planet’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas, but it was virtually closed by Iran during the Middle East war, sending energy prices soaring.
Iran lifted its blockade of Hormuz after reaching an initial deal with the United States to end the Middle East war, and negotiations on a permanent settlement to the conflict are underway.
