Iran Establishes Office to Collect Transit Fees in Strait of Hormuz
Iran has established an office requiring permits and transit fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, according to maritime publication Lloyd's List. The move increases pressure on Western nations and global oil markets by targeting the critical waterway through which one-fifth of the world's oil normally passes. Tehran has been blocking this key shipping route for most of the period since the Middle East conflict began, and the new fee collection system represents an escalation of Iran's control over the strategic chokepoint that connects the Persian Gulf to international waters.















