Hormuz transit: Tehran demands full coordination.. and Bloomberg: Ship fees of up to $2 million

Revolutionary Guard blocked container ship from Hormuz transit over lack of coordination.. and Bloomberg: $2 million fees for ships amid unclear mechanism

Commander of the Revolutionary Guard’s naval forces, Alireza Tangsiri, affirmed that any ship’s transit through the Strait of Hormuz requires full coordination with Iran, noting that a container ship was turned back due to not having a transit permit.

Tangsiri said the ship was turned back “due to non-compliance with legal protocols and lacking a permit,” adding that transit requires full coordination with Iran’s maritime sovereignty.

The container ship SELEN was turned back by the Revolutionary Guard Navy due to non-compliance with legal protocols and lacking a transit permit for #Strait_of_Hormuz.
Any vessel’s passage through this waterway requires full coordination with Iran’s maritime sovereignty, and this important matter could only be achieved with the support of our noble people. pic.twitter.com/g6ei29Y90Q

— Alireza Tangsiri (@alirezatangsiri) March 24, 2026

Bloomberg: Transit fees of up to $2 million per ship

Bloomberg reported that Iran has begun imposing transit fees on some commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a move reflecting Tehran’s control over the world’s most strategic waterway for energy transport.

According to sources familiar with the matter, amounts of up to $2 million are being requested per voyage on a temporary basis, effectively creating informal fees for the waterway. Some ships have paid these fees, though the mechanism remains unclear, including the currency used.

Iranian influence amid lack of transparency

The payments highlight Iran’s influence over the strait, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes daily. As the war enters its fourth week, the step underscores the urgent need for some exporters and consumers to ensure continued energy flows.

Sources indicated that the payments are being handled discreetly, while the lack of transparency and clarity over the payment mechanism adds tension to the maritime passage. Only a few vessels have transited the strait since the war began, most of them Iran-affiliated.

Iranian push to formalize fees as part of settlement

Bloomberg reported that Iran is floating the idea of formalizing transit fees as part of a broader post-war settlement, according to one insider. Last week, an Iranian parliamentarian said lawmakers were studying a proposal requiring countries to pay transit fees to Iran for safe use of the strait.

For Arab Gulf producers, even informal fees are unacceptable, as they raise issues of sovereignty and the potential to turn a vital trade route for their energy exports into a political pressure tool.

March 22:
Tehran to Moscow: Passage allowed except for US and Israeli ships