Iran’s Parliament Security Committee has approved a new management plan for the Strait of Hormuz that proposes tolls on vessels and restrictions on certain countries, according to Iranian state media.
The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) reported that the plan introduces a rial-based toll system for ships transiting the strategic waterway. It also outlines provisions related to maritime security, vessel safety, environmental protection, and financial mechanisms governing passage through the Strait.
The plan bans the passage of US and Israeli vessels and extends restrictions to countries participating in unilateral sanctions against Iran. It also reaffirms Iran’s sovereign control over the Strait and highlights cooperation with Oman to establish a legal framework for its management, IRIB reported.
The move comes amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia between Iran and a US-Israeli coalition, now in its second month, and signals Tehran’s attempt to assert greater control over one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes.
Separately, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington intends to re-establish control over the Strait to ensure freedom of navigation.
“The market is well supplied, and we are seeing more and more ships go through on a daily basis as individual countries cut deals with the Iranian regime for the time being. over time, the US is going to retake control of the straits, and there will be freedom of navigation, whether it is through US escorts or a multinational escort,” he told Fox News.
US President Donald Trump also warned of potential strikes on Iran’s civilian energy infrastructure if the Strait is not reopened.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said, “Great progress has been made, but if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business’, we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island.”
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