Iran "Strait of Hormuz Toll Bill Nearly Complete... 30% of Revenue for Military"

"Payment of Tolls in Iranian Rial"
"Ban on Passage of Israeli and Other Hostile Vessels"

Reuters Yonhap News

Iran has nearly completed legislation for the management of the Strait of Hormuz and is reportedly planning to collect tolls in its national currency. It is anticipated that 30% of the toll revenues will be allocated to the Iranian military, which is expected to spark future controversy.

On the 19th (local time), Fars News Agency, affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, reported, "A comprehensive bill for managing the Strait of Hormuz has been prepared and is expected to be finalized soon." The agency stated, "Countries using the Strait of Hormuz will be required to pay tolls in Iran's currency, the rial. Thirty percent of the revenue will be used by the military, while the remaining 70% will go toward supporting residents' livelihoods."

Mohammadreza Rezaei Kouchi, Chairman of the National Security Committee, told Fars News Agency, "Cargo and vessels related to Israel will be prohibited from passage, and ships and cargo from countries deemed hostile will also be banned." He added, "Countries considered adversaries, as well as those that caused damage to Iran during times of war, will not be allowed passage until they provide compensation to Iran."

Ebrahim Azizi, Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, also stated in an interview with the BBC on the same day, "The right to passage through the Strait of Hormuz is our inalienable right," adding, "Iran will decide on passage rights, including authorization for vessels to transit the strait." He further emphasized, "These measures will be supported by Iranian law," explaining that "a bill based on Article 110 of the Constitution, which covers environmental, maritime safety, and national security matters, has been submitted to parliament, and the military will enforce the law."

Previously, the day before, Iran criticized the U.S. for its coastal blockade of Iran and announced it would once again close the Strait of Hormuz. In this process, it was reported that two India-flagged oil tankers were affected. As a result, the Strait of Hormuz was once again blocked to vessel traffic, with only a single ship passing through in a 24-hour period. The New York Times, citing data from the global ship tracking site MarineTraffic, reported that "in the past 24 hours, the only large commercial ship to transit the Strait of Hormuz was the oil tanker 'G Summer'," adding that "the vessel is owned by a Chinese entity."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.