Tanker Operators Advised Against Paying Iran's Strait of Hormuz Fee

Tanker operators are being advised not to pay a fee to Iran for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, following a failed ceasefire agreement. The agreement was supposed to include the reopening of the strait, but Iran has suggested that ships must seek its permission to pass through, and may levy a fee in return for safe passage.

Phillip Belcher, from Intertanko, a group representing tanker firms, stated, "We do not believe the payment of tolls is the right way to go about this." He added, "We are amazed that this appears to be one of the starting points of negotiations."

US-Iran Talks

US Vice President JD Vance is meeting with representatives of the Iranian government in Islamabad, Pakistan, to discuss the details of a ceasefire deal. However, the deal already appears to be in jeopardy due to continued air strikes in Israel and Lebanon, and a stalemate over the vital shipping lane.

Belcher emphasized that Intertanko is still advising its members not to use the strait, as "an attack could take place at any time." He also stated that charging a toll is "against the whole idea of international laws and free passage through international waterways."

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of the Iranian military, oversees much of Iran's economic activity and has been listed as a terrorist organization by the US and the EU. Belcher noted, "The IRGC is a designated terrorist organization and so the payment of monies to a terrorist organization should be avoided."

Arsenio Dominguez, secretary general of the International Maritime Organisation, emphasized that countries should respect the already established right to freedom of navigation. "International straits in accordance [with] international law are actually for the use of everyone and that's why no toll restrictions should be imposed," he said.

Impact on Global Supplies

The war has significantly reduced the passage of tankers through the strait, with only 15 vessels making the trip since Tuesday, compared to an average of almost 140 each day prior to the outbreak of the conflict. Almost 800 ships have been left stranded in the Gulf, most of them loaded with cargo.

The chief executive of Swedish tanker firm Stena Bulk, Erik Hanell, stated that his firm would not make any moves to use the disputed Strait until they were 100% certain it was safe for the crews on board. "We need safety guarantees," he said. Hanell also emphasized that paying fees to travel through the Strait of Hormuz would be like paying fees to use the English Channel, and that it's not a scenario they would like to see become a reality.