Iran has effectively introduced a toll booth system in the Strait of Hormuz, requiring vessels to submit detailed documentation for Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps vetting and, in some cases, pay fees for safe passage through the critical oil chokepoint.
Parliament is now drafting legislation to formalise the arrangement, which shipping analysts have described as a de facto regime already in operation since mid-March. The move comes amid heightened regional tensions and follows a sharp reduction in traffic through the waterway, which normally carries about a fifth of global oil and gas trade.
