As the Strait of Hormuz remains largely blocked, affecting the global economy, Iran’s parliament is preparing a bill to charge ships for safe passage through the strategic strait, Iranian media reported.
Citing a member of the parliament’s economic committee, the semi-official ISNA news agency reported today that a bill has been prepared to charge ships for passage through the strategic strait.
“Common practice in many important maritime routes around the world”
Saeed Rahmatzadeh said that imposing fees for maritime passage through the straits was “common practice in many important maritime routes around the world.”
He added that the measure could help increase Iran’s revenues and improve navigation safety and services along the route.
Iran announced restrictions on navigation through the strait on March 2, warning that it could target ships that attempt to pass through without coordination, in response to ongoing US-Israeli attacks.
One of the most important energy hubs
About 20 million barrels of oil pass through the strait daily, making it one of the world’s most important energy hubs. The current disruptions have already increased transportation and insurance costs and raised concerns about the global economy.
On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran supported other countries in securing transit through the strait, adding that safe passage could be achieved if countries like Japan coordinated with Iran.
The US-Israeli attacks on Iran began on February 28, after which Tehran responded with repeated drone and missile attacks on Israel and Gulf countries hosting US military facilities.
