Amid escalating tensions in West Asia disrupting global shipping, Iran’s Parliament Security Committee has approved a ‘Strait of Hormuz Management Plan,’ which includes measures to impose tolls on vessels passing through the strategic waterway, as reported by Iranian state media, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
The plan outlines provisions related to security, ship safety, environmental protection, and financial mechanisms, including the introduction of a rial-based toll system for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
Iranย explicitlyย bans passage for American and Israeli vessels
The plan also explicitly bans passage for American and Israeli vessels, reinforces the sovereign role of Iran and its armed forces, and outlines cooperation with Oman in establishing the legal framework for the Strait. Additionally, it prohibits passage for countries participating in unilateral sanctions against Iran, as reported by IRIB.
The approved measures come amid ongoing conflict in West Asia between Iran and the US-Israeli coalition, currently in its second month, and reflect Tehran’s efforts to assert control over one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, through which a significant portion of global oil shipments transit.
Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
Lloyd’s List Intelligence, a London-based real-time vessel tracking firm, estimates only 105 ships have passed through the strait between February 28 and March 18, compared with 1,900 in the same period of 2025, according to media reports.
US to retake control of the Strait of Hormuz: Scott Bessent
Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with Fox News that the United States is going to retake control of the Strait of Hormuz, which would eventually have freedom of navigation.
He said that while individual deals have been cut by countries to cross the Strait of Hormuz, eventually the US would regain control over it either through American escorts or a multinational escort. “The market is well supplied, and we are seeing more and more ships go through on a daily basis as individual countries cut deals with the Iranian regime for the time being. over time, the US is going to retake control of the straits and there will be freedom of navigation, whether it is through US escorts or a multinational escort,” he said.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump threatened to target Iran’s civilian energy infrastructure, including power plants, oil wells, and Kharg Island, if Tehran does not reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “Great progress has been made, but if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business’, we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island.”ย
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