Iran Reframes Hormuz Fees as “Protection” and “Environmental” Charges
Iran continues to claim that it and Oman control the Strait of Hormuz as territorial waters, with Iranian officials attempting to reframe transit tolls as “protection fees” and “environmental fees” to give the protection racket the veneer of legality. The Strait of Hormuz is an international waterway under international law. Iran is claiming the strait is territorial waters and under the administration of “coastal” states — notably while excluding the United Arab Emirates from the definition of coastal state, despite the UAE bordering the strait. Iran remains the only power that has threatened civilian shipping in the strait during the war, meaning the “protection fee” is a fee ships must pay to avoid Iranian attack.
Both “protection fees” and “environmental fees” are tolls under international maritime law, and neither is legal in an international waterway. US officials are explicitly against any fee system in the Strait of Hormuz; this remains a core disagreement in the Doha talks. The IRGC Navy Public Relations said 33 ships passed through the strait over the past 24 hours after obtaining permission and with IRGC Navy “coordination and security”. Khatam ol Anbia Central Headquarters Commander Major General Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s plans to manage the Persian Gulf and the strait will shape a “new regional and global order” under the “Strong Iran” strategy, “in which foreigners will have no place”.