Iran is pushing to impose service fees on vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the Wall Street Journal reported.

Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian Parliament and former head of the negotiating team, stated during his visit to Oman on June 25 that "the management regime of the Strait of Hormuz will never return to its pre-war state."

It is reported that Iran is looking to the example of Turkey, which charges service fees to vessels passing through the Dardanelles, an international waterway.

Under a 1936 treaty, Turkey has the authority to charge fees to vessels passing through the Dardanelles for lighthouse operations and maritime rescue services.

According to Iranian officials, Iran has proposed that countries around the Persian Gulf participate in a management regime for the Strait of Hormuz and share the revenue from the passage fees.

It is estimated that if safety, security, and environmental services in the Strait of Hormuz are monetized, it could generate approximately $40 billion in annual revenue, equivalent to about 60 trillion won.

The move is intended to secure a new source of income by gaining management authority over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran is also showing signs of attempting to make the operational method of the Strait of Hormuz an agenda item in its ongoing negotiations with the United States.

Although passage through the Strait of Hormuz resumed following the ceasefire, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has warned that it will take action against vessels that do not use the routes they have designated.

In fact, a Singapore-flagged vessel passing through the Strait of Hormuz on this day was struck by an unidentified projectile.

In response, the Iranian side stated, "We cannot guarantee safe passage if vessels navigate outside the routes we have designated."


However, the U.S. maintains that it cannot recognize tolls for the Strait of Hormuz.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized, "No nation has the right to impose tolls on the use of international waterways," adding that "this is an unacceptable condition in any agreement."

Oman, which shares the Strait of Hormuz, is also opposing Iran's plan to establish new passage fees.

Oman announced that it would operate a free temporary shipping lane off its coast in cooperation with the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Experts believe that Iran's plan to follow Turkey's example will not be easy to realize.

The reason is that Turkey's charging of service fees to vessels is an exceptional case based on a special agreement.

Iran is also a signatory to international conventions that prohibit the unilateral imposition of costs on vessels.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)