Reuters: Tehran was responding to what it called an “interventionist, irresponsible and provocative” joint statement by the U.S. and six Gulf states that rejected Iran’s insistence that it could charge tolls on vessels transiting the strait.
“Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed under ambiguous arrangements, parallel routes or decision-making that does not take Iran’s role as a coastal state into account,” Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on X…
Iran strikes vessel in Strait of Hormuz amid debate over “transit fees”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio again rejected the idea of Iran charging vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz. Oman said any system it creates with Iran to manage maritime traffic will not involve fees, but Iran was less definitive, saying it would work with Oman “to define future administration and maritime services in Strait of Hormuz.”
Iran Estimates $40 Billion Windfall From Reopening Hormuz With Gulf States
The Islamic Republic estimates that charging for security, safety and environmental services in the strait would bring in $40 billion a year in revenue for states involved, according to officials familiar with the matter. The idea, if implemented, would give Tehran cash flow and control that it didn’t command before the war.
The regime is looking to models around the world, including the Dardanelles, the officials said, where Turkey charges ships a tax known as the gold franc for passage to and from the Aegean Sea through the international waterway…
Vance, Rubio strike different tone on Iran and Israel
The contrast suggests that, even as the administration has emphasized unity, differing worldviews are at times rising to the surface — a challenge for a White House whose political coalition is deeply divided on foreign policy matters. It also offers an early glimpse of the Republican Party’s future, with Rubio and Vance both seen as potential 2028 presidential contenders…
Traffic through Strait of Hormuz slows after attack on ship
The U.N. shipping agency temporarily paused its voluntary scheme to evacuate hundreds of stranded ships and thousands of seafarers from the Gulf after the ship was damaged in the attack close to the Omani side of the waterway…