Iran’s parliamentary Security Committee has approved a plan to impose fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil supply flows, a committee member announced.
The plan aims to strengthen “Iran’s sovereign role and that of its armed forces,” according to a statement reported by Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB on Monday, March 30.
The document outlines key measures to increase Iranian control and oversight of the strait, including “security measures to protect the waterway, steps to ensure maritime navigation safety, and economic regulations involving fees in rials for ships passing through, as well as a ban on passage for U.S. and Israeli vessels,” IRIB reported.
The Strait of Hormuz has become a central flashpoint in the conflict that began on February 28, when the United States and Israel jointly carried out strikes on Iran.
The threat—or potential closure—of the strait by Iran has already disrupted around 15 million barrels of oil per day in the Persian Gulf, causing significant instability in global oil markets.
