Iran warns non-compliant ships risk fines and seizure when transiting Strait of Hormuz

Plans have been unveiled to impose fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to Iran's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee. Hassan Ghashghavi, a spokesperson for the committee, revealed that Article 3 of the proposed Strategic Action Plan would enable Iran to charge for services like navigation, environmental protection, insurance, safety, and refueling.

However, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea prohibits Iran from suspending, impeding, or charging tolls for vessels using the Strait.

Ghashghavi stated that these fees will be collected from ships belonging to countries permitted to transit the Straits, in either rials or any other currency designated by Iran. The timing of this announcement, according to security analyst Roger Macmillan, highlights Iran's financial struggles amid US economic sanctions. The Iranian rial has reached a record low of 2.02 million per US dollar on informal markets, with the Central Bank maintaining an official rate of 1.5 million per dollar.

Regional nations are expected to resist paying these additional fees, as they could further isolate Iran and antagonize the United States.