A senior Iranian parliamentary official revealed that Iran has received its first revenue from toll fees charged to ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic energy route amid tensions with the United States and Israel.
Tasnim News Agency, a semi-official Iranian outlet, reported citing a statement from Hamidreza Haji Babaei, the second Deputy Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, on Thursday that the Iranian government has successfully received the first installment of revenue from toll fees on maritime traffic in the "Strait of Hormuz."
Haji Babaei confirmed, "The first revenue collected from toll fees in the Strait of Hormuz has been transferred to the account of Iran's Central Bank." However, Iranian authorities did not disclose the amount or specify the nationalities of the ships from which the revenue was collected.
The Strait of Hormuz is considered the world's most important strategic energy chokepoint, with about one-fifth of global oil and natural gas trade normally passing through it. Since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict on 28 February, Iran has strictly limited commercial vessel traffic and warned that maritime conditions in the strait "will never return to what they were before the war."
Previously, the Iranian Parliament debated extensively over legislation to impose such tolls, culminating in approval by the Security Commission on 30 March. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has persistently pressured Iran to reopen the maritime route for free navigation.
At the same time, the United Kingdom, France, and military planners from over 30 countries have initiated discussions to establish a multinational mission to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, stating they will commence operations as soon as conditions permit to uphold navigation rights under international law.
Source: AFP /Al Jazeera