Dubai: Iran is considering a proposal to impose transit fees on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a lawmaker said on Thursday, in a possible bid to monetize Tehran’s new hold on the vital waterway through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied gas passes.Since the beginning of the US-Israeli war over Iran, Tehran has disrupted maritime transit through the strait for ships that are linked to its war adversaries and their allies. According to the Iranian Student News Agency, the lawmaker said parliament was considering a bill that would require countries using the strait for shipping, energy transit and food supplies to pay tolls and taxes to Iran.An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said “a new regime for the Strait of Hormuz” would come into force after the final end of the war, allowing Tehran to impose a maritime embargo on states that sanction it. “Using the strategic position of the Strait of Hormuz, we can impose sanctions on (the West) and prevent their ships from passing through this waterway,” Mohammad Mokhbar said on Thursday, according to the Mehr news agency. (This is a Reuters story)
