Iran to charge service fees for Strait of Hormuz, offering special treatment to friendly nations

Iran’s ambassador to China, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, announced at the World Peace Forum in Beijing that Tehran will impose service fees on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. He said the charges will cover security, vessel monitoring and environmental mitigation and are not to be considered a toll. “We will definitely charge service fees,” Fazli said, adding that “we will definitely consider special treatment for the countries that were friendly to us and specially stood by us during the hard times.”

The plan follows a provisional US‑Iran agreement that allowed free passage for 60 days after the war‑ending cease‑fire; the future regime remains unclear. Iran is coordinating the new arrangements with Oman and has signaled that China and other “friendly” states will receive preferential conditions. The United States has rejected any fee scheme. The strait carries roughly one‑fifth of global crude oil and LNG, so any pricing or access changes could affect worldwide energy markets.