Iran plans toll mechanism for Hormuz Strait transit, excludes vessels linked to US 'Freedom Project'
The announcement marks Tehran's latest move to assert control over one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, as a fragile ceasefire continues to hold with no lasting agreement in sight.
ERBIL (Kurdistan 24) - Iran has drawn up a formal mechanism to regulate maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz and will charge fees for what it describes as "specialized services" provided under the new system, a senior Iranian lawmaker announced on Saturday.
Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, disclosed the plan in a post on X, the US social media platform, stating that Tehran would unveil the full details shortly. "In this process, only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran will benefit from it," Azizi wrote, adding that the designated route "will remain closed to the operators of the so-called 'freedom project.'"
A chokepoint at the center of a global standoff
The announcement comes amid one of the most volatile periods in the Strait of Hormuz's modern history. The US and Israel launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, triggering retaliatory action from Tehran against Israel and US allies in the Gulf, as well as the closure of the strait, through which roughly a fifth of the world's oil supply passes.
A ceasefire brokered through Pakistani mediation took effect on April 8, but subsequent talks in Islamabad failed to produce a durable agreement.
Since April 13, the US has maintained a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic in the strait, significantly raising the stakes for both sides in a standoff that has rattled global energy markets and shipping lanes.
Trump's 'Project Freedom' and its pause
US President Donald Trump announced "Project Freedom" in early May, vowing to escort commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz in direct defiance of Iran's position that any transit through the waterway requires its prior approval. The move was widely interpreted as a direct challenge to Tehran's claims of sovereign oversight over the strait. Trump later announced a pause on the initiative, though the underlying dispute over freedom of navigation remains unresolved.
Azizi's announcement of a toll-based mechanism appears to be Tehran's answer, a framework that would institutionalize Iran's control over transit while offering a commercial pathway for vessels and operators willing to work within its terms.
Energy markets on edge
The Strait of Hormuz is the world's most critical oil transit chokepoint, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the broader global energy system. Any sustained disruption to shipping through the waterway carries immediate consequences for oil prices, regional economies, and international supply chains. Observers say Iran's new mechanism, if implemented, would effectively force shipping companies and their state backers to choose sides, accepting Tehran's terms or risking exclusion from the route entirely.
Tehran has not yet specified the fee structure, the designated route, or the timeline for the plan's formal announcement.