The Iranian parliament is considering imposing fees for “safe passage” through the Strait of Hormuz.
An Iranian member of parliament revealed on Thursday that a draft law is being studied to impose fees and taxes on the passage of ships and energy through the Strait of Hormuz, in exchange for what she described as Iran securing the shipping lane.
Somayeh Rafiei told Tasnim News Agency that the MPs are pursuing a bill that would require countries to pay fees if they use the Strait as a safe passage for shipping, energy transit, and food security.
She added that Iran “will firmly establish security in the Strait of Hormuz” after what she described as achieving victory, stressing that this security will be achieved “powerfully” by the Islamic Republic, and that countries must pay what she called a “security tax” in return.
She noted that Iran’s ability to secure the Strait and protect its national interests “must be preserved,” given what she described as the country’s growing power in the region.
Rafiei expressed her confidence in Iran’s victory in the next stage, considering that the passage of what she described as “enemies” through the Strait of Hormuz will remain fraught with challenges.
Iran is exploiting its location in the Strait of Hormuz to exert pressure on the energy market and force countries to negotiate for safe passage, thus raising the cost of conflict for the United States and its allies. Recent attacks have caused unprecedented disruption to shipping and increased risks, with the number of transiting vessels declining sharply.
Asian countries such as India, Turkey and Pakistan began negotiating with Tehran to secure supplies, amid a de facto closure of the strait to “enemy ships”.
In contrast, Washington is finding it difficult to form a maritime coalition, and the resumption of normal navigation could take weeks even in the best-case scenario.
Shafaq.com