DUBAI, March 19 (Reuters) – Iran is considering a proposal to levy transit fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a lawmaker said on Thursday, a potential bid to monetise Tehran’s newfound grip over the critical waterway through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied gas passes.
Since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, Tehran has disrupted maritime transit through the strait for vessels it says are linked to its war adversaries and their allies.
According to the Iranian Students’ News Agency, the lawmaker said parliament was considering a bill under which countries using the strait for shipping, energy transit and food supplies would be required to pay tolls and taxes to Iran.
An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said “a new regime for the Strait of Hormuz” will follow the war’s eventual end, allowing Tehran to apply maritime restrictions on states that have sanctioned it.
“By using the strategic position of the Strait of Hormuz, we can sanction (the West) and prevent their ships from passing through this waterway,” Mohammad Mokhber said on Thursday, according to Mehr news agency.
(Reporting by Dubai NewsroomEditing by Ros Russell)
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