Iran Promises Special Hormuz Treatment For Friends & Allies

Iran’s ambassador to China announced that ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz will be charged a service fee, adding that Beijing and other friendly countries which supported Iran during the war with U.S will receive “special considerations”.

An interim peace agreement signed between the U.S last month to stop hostilities said that commercial ships would transit the waterway free of charge for 60 days but it did not mention what policies will be implemented after that period.

Though U.S-Iran talks are ongoing, Washington has said that Iran canno charge any toll or fee on vessels crossing the strategic waterway under the final agreement aimed to end the war permanently.

Speaking to the World Peace Forum in Beijing, Ambassador Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli said Iran is working in “collaboration and cooperation” with Oman on “new arrangements” for the strait.

“As a country where the Hormuz is part of its territorial waters, we will definitely charge service fees,” Fazli said.

The new fees would guarantee safety of navigation in the strait and also allow Iranian navy to supervise it for any illegal activities, enable search and rescue missions and also guage the environmental impact of shipping on the waterway.

However, he mentioned about “special considerations” offered to China and other allies.

He emphasised that the Strait of Hormuz has become a security issue since the U.S began attacks on Iran after which Tehran closed the strategic waterway which handles one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies.

Iran and Oman have established a joint committee to determine how this waterway will be managed.