Iran's foreign ministry announced Monday that Tehran is charging fees for "navigational services" to ships transiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz, but insists it is not imposing tolls.
Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the fees cover navigational services and environmental protection measures in the Strait, the Persian Gulf, and the Sea of Oman.
The announcement follows Iran publishing a map claiming regulatory control over a stretch of water extending into UAE and Omani territorial waters. Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have jointly warned shipping companies through the International Maritime Organisation not to comply.
All vessels transiting Iran's defined zone are now required to obtain prior authorization from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority.
The US standoff with Iran over the waterway, through which a fifth of global oil and gas trade passes, has already disrupted energy markets. The European Commission cut its 2026 growth forecast for the EU to 1.1% and the eurozone to 0.9%, citing energy price spikes from the conflict.