Iran wants tolls for Hormuz: a new bargain at the narrowest point in world trade

Qatar has said mediation between the United States and Iran is at an advanced stage. Doha noted that no direct talks between the parties are expected at this point, while renewing its call for a return to free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has tightened its grip on the strait since the war that began on 28 February. Tehran is reported to want to control the waterway and charge tolls, exercising powers it did not use before the conflict.

Iran has set out new demands regarding the restart of negotiations and the reopening of the strait. Over the same period, the Pentagon is reported to be pressing the US defence industry to accelerate weapons production.

MHA Analysis

The issue is not the size of a toll but a state effectively institutionalising, on an international waterway, a power it never previously exercised. If it is accepted, it sets a precedent in maritime trade and opens the way to the same demand at other narrow passages. For countries that control straits of their own — Türkiye among them — the legal consequences of this argument may outlast the effect on energy prices by a long way.