Iran Says It Must Collect Fees for Services in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Baghaei said Iran’s measures to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz are aimed at safeguarding national security and align with the common interests of the international community. According to Odaily, Baghaei said Iran must receive fees for services provided in the Strait of Hormuz. An audio recording from a ship’s public radio channel, provided by a sailor aboard a merchant vessel near waters adjacent to the Strait of Hormuz, indicated that on the evening of the 13th local time, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy warned nearby vessels and told them not to pass through the strait. The recording said the IRGC Navy broadcast to all ships in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that the Strait of Hormuz was fully closed and that any vessel transiting within the strait would be dealt with “decisively.” The broadcast also instructed all ships not to move within the Strait of Hormuz until further notice. Earlier, Naboyan, vice chair of Iran’s National Security Committee, said that based on the text of an Iran-U.S. memorandum of understanding he had reviewed, all commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz would resume passage without any restrictions.