Iran has developed a framework to manage maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and intends to levy fees for passage, Ebrahim Azizi, who leads the Iranian parliament’s national security committee, said on Saturday.
In a social media post, Azizi said that "Iran... has prepared a professional mechanism to manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz along a designated route," and added that the scheme will be "unveiled soon."
Azizi stated that the mechanism includes the collection of "necessary fees" and that the arrangement will extend benefits only to commercial vessels and to "parties cooperating with Iran."
He further said that "This route will remain closed to the operators of the so‑called 'freedom project,'" a likely reference to U.S. President Donald Trump’s "Project Freedom," which was intended to restore commercial shipping in Hormuz. The article noted that Trump had paused that operation earlier in May.
The announcement follows a period in which Iran effectively sealed the channel since the onset of U.S.-Israeli hostilities in late-February, and Tehran has repeatedly suggested it would assert control over, and charge for, traffic through the vital waterway.
Earlier reports this year indicated Iran might accept toll payments in cryptocurrency, with Bitcoin specifically mentioned as a possibility.
The U.S. president has been opposed to any Iranian control of the Strait, and has repeatedly urged that the waterway be reopened. Reports late on Friday indicated that Trump was considering further military actions against Iran. Earlier in the week, he warned that an Iran ceasefire was on "life support" and rejected a peace offer from Iran.
On multiple occasions, the U.S. president has also called for Iran to halt its nuclear activities, stating that the country could not be permitted to develop a nuclear weapon.
Summary of developments:
- Iran has prepared a traffic-management mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz to be revealed soon.
- Under the mechanism, Iran will collect fees and limit benefits to commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran.
- The designated route will be closed to operators associated with the so-called "freedom project."