Iran began to reinforce its control over the Strait of Hormuz by stating that ships will only be able to cross the region with its authorization and by indicating that it may charge fees in the future, in the form of “insurance” for the crossing.
All vessels passing through the strait will have to take out a mandatory policy, which for now is free, but may be charged later, according to a document published on the website of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA). The text also says that ships must follow a specific route, close to the Iranian coast, and prohibits alternative routes.
In recent days, Western naval forces have recommended that ships use a route around the coast of Oman, but indicated that other options also remain available — a sign that parallel corridors could be opened while an area in the middle of Hormuz is cleared. A large volume of oil left the strait in the hours after the signing this week of the interim peace agreement between the US and Iran. But visible traffic lost strength until Friday, and the Pakistan Navy said it had identified a mine near the coast of Oman, raising the risk of the route outside the area controlled by Iran.
Shipowners and producers have shown growing concern about the possibility of Iran starting to charge tolls for crossings. This is because the memorandum of understanding signed with the USA only says that travel will be free during the 60 days of the agreement. The sector is also seeking guidance on how crossings through Hormuz will work after the peace agreement and how the region will be cleared of mines.
US allies, led by the United Kingdom, are putting pressure on the Donald Trump government not to accept or normalize a possible Iranian charge for passage through the strait, according to a senior official. The sector warns that imposing fees would contravene international maritime law and set a dangerous precedent, which could be replicated on other strategic routes around the world.
“This insurance is currently provided free of charge to the vessel owner, with all costs covered by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Iranian document says. “PGSA reserves the right to introduce insurance rates in the future, which will be set by the responsible insurer. Owners will then be required to take out and renew coverage in accordance with these conditions.”
Visible oil flows through the waterway slowed sharply on Friday. Although a supertanker appeared near Muscat, Oman, indicating that it had left the Persian Gulf, there were no other shipments detectable by the vessels’ transponders. Still, millions of barrels have been leaving the southern route near Oman in recent weeks, often with transponders turned off — suggesting that the actual volume transported may be greater than is currently visible.
Since the peace deal, Iran has managed to move millions of barrels that were under US blockade into a port located just outside the Persian Gulf. Oil tankers with capacity to transport at least 20 million barrels were seen leaving the Iranian port of Chabahar, in the Gulf of Oman, this week. Before the American blockade, shipments from Tehran had already been practically stopped.
Risks in Hormuz
The PGSA was created by Iran during the war but has since been sanctioned by the United States. Neighboring countries reject the legitimacy of the organization and have instructed shipowners not to maintain contact with the entity.
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The document should do little to calm vessel owners, who have already been demanding more clarity about traffic in the strait. Demand for hiring tankers to load oil at Persian Gulf ports has been very limited, shipping brokers and ship owners said Friday — a necessary step to enable shipments from export terminals.
According to the text, ships must request a passage authorization from the PGSA. The agency also published a map with the routes that Iran considers safe.
On Thursday, Western naval forces released the coordinates of the route they recommend for crossing Hormuz. At the time, they also said that maps with the most recent known positions of the mines can be provided upon request.
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