The Iranian parliament is working on a draft bill that would impose a fee on vessels seeking safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz — according to the semi-official Fars news agency. Fars, citing an unnamed lawmaker, said the plan would be finalized soon — and would legally recognize Iran's oversight of Hormuz, a vital conduit which connects some of the world's largest oil and gas producers in the Persian Gulf with the wider world.
The narrow waterway has been all but closed since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began almost a month ago — and has become a focal point of the war. Only a trickle of ships have made their way through in the intervening weeks as Iran tightens control — most of them with Iranian or Chinese connections, with a handful securing safe passage from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Tehran's legislation would formalize a unilateral arrangement already widely reported by the shipping industry, with payments of as much as $2 million being sought from vessels as an informal toll.
Crews have been asked through intermediaries for staff, cargo and voyage details — and in some cases for a fee — though efforts have not been systematic. A toll and promises of safe passage raise complicated questions for the shipping industry, eager to rescue crews and cargoes stuck in the Persian Gulf — but reluctant to face sanctions and security risks. Freedom of navigation through vital stretches like this one is typically guaranteed by international law.
"Ultimately, it's a question of whether you will trust Iran on this," said Amanda Bjorn, head of claims at a marine insurance unit. From a supply chain perspective, this law represents a significant structural shift for this critical chokepoint, through which roughly 20-25% of global oil trade passes. For refineries in India, China and Japan, an additional $2 million transit fee tacked onto crude prices reshapes delivered cost calculations. For tanker owners, navigating under disguised flags combined with P&I insurance coverage uncertainty fundamentally alters the operational risk profile.
