A key committee in Iran’s parliament approved a toll plan for vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, as the White House has hinted that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering asking Arab countries to pay for the cost of the Iran war.
When asked by a reporter about who is paying for the war considering Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates covered much of the costs of the Gulf War in 1990-91, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president is considering pushing Arab leaders for support.
“I think it’s something the president would be quite interested in calling them to do,” Leavitt said during a briefing on March 30.
“I won’t get ahead of him on that, but certainly it’s an idea that I know that he has, and something that I think you’ll hear more from him on.”
According to estimates from various outlets and analysts, the daily cost of the month-long war to the United States ranges between $1 billion and $2 billion.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration is preparing to request an additional $200 billion from Congress to finance the war.
Trump warned on March 30 that if Iran did not strike a war-ending deal, which included reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane, U.S. forces would destroy all of Tehran's oil wells, its main Kharg Island export terminal, power systems and possibly desalination plants.
But the Wall Street Journal reported he also told aides he was willing to end the war even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, likely strengthening Tehran's control on the waterway.
The development came as Iranian state media reported late on March 31 that a parliamentary commission approved plans to impose tolls on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The measure, which cleared the National Security Commission, outlines a series of new regulations governing the strategic waterway, including financial provisions that would require ships to pay transit fees in Iran’s national currency, the rial.
The bill also includes restrictions barring vessels linked to the U.S. and Israel from passing through the strait.
Additional provisions would prohibit access for countries that have joined unilateral sanctions against Iran.
The legislation must pass a full parliamentary vote before being reviewed by the Guardian Council and signed by the president to become law.
Regional escalations have continued to rage since Israel and the U.S. launched a joint offensive on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,340 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
