Iran confirms it is charging a "maritime service" fee for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

VTV.vn - The Iranian Foreign Ministry said on May 25 that Tehran is collecting a "maritime service fee" from ships passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, but is not imposing toll fees.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei (Photo: Islamic Republic of Iran - Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said at a weekly press briefing: "The services provided – maritime services alongside necessary measures to protect the environment of the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf and the Sea of ​​Oman – require the collection of certain fees."

He added that Iran "is not seeking to collect tolls."

Last week, Iran released a map outlining its legal control over a section of the Strait of Hormuz that extends deep into the territorial waters of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman. Through the International Maritime Organization (IMO), five Gulf states have formally warned shipping companies against complying with Tehran's aforementioned map of legal control over the Strait of Hormuz.

In a social media post, Iran's Persian Gulf Straits Administration (PGSA) defined its claimed jurisdiction as extending from Kuh-e Mobarak in Iran to southern Fujairah in the UAE at the eastern entrance of the strait, and from the end of Qeshm Island in Iran to Umm al-Quwain in the UAE at the western entrance. All vessels passing through the defined area must obtain prior permission from the PGSA.

Ships anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, off the port city of Khasab on the Musandam Peninsula in northern Oman, May 17, 2026 (Photo: AFP)

This area includes waters that the UAE and Oman consider to be their sovereign national territories.

Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE sent a joint letter to the IMO, warning commercial and trading vessels not to contact the PGSA or pass through the route designated by Iran. This letter was forwarded by the IMO.

The US and Iran have reached a stalemate over the Strait of Hormuz – a shipping lane through which 20% of the world's commercial oil and gas passes in peacetime.

The Islamic Republic closed the Strait of Hormuz from the early days of the Iran war. And in mid-April, the US retaliated by imposing a maritime blockade on Iranian ports.

Source: https://vtv.vn/iran-xac-nhan-dang-thu-phi-dich-vu-hang-hai-qua-eo-bien-hormuz-100260526180655804.htm