Iran maintained its insistence on controlling the Strait of Hormuz on June 26, a day after an attack on a ship in the strategic waterway led the U.N. to suspend efforts to evacuate trapped mariners.
The New York Times and other U.S. media reported that Iran struck a container ship in the strait, and the Iranian agency that claims to regulate traffic there issued a warning after the incident.
“Any passage through routes outside the framework designated by PGSA will not be covered by safe passage guarantees,” Persian Gulf Strait Authority said on X.
Iran imposed a blockade of the strait during the war, sparking a global economic shock and has since said it plans to introduce what it terms maritime service fees.
These developments may complicate negotiations between the U.S. and Iran, which are trying to forge a final agreement after signing a memorandum of understanding to end the conflict that started in late February.
The June 25 attack prompted Arsenio Dominguez, the secretary general of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), a U.N. agency responsible for marine safety, to announce the suspension of efforts to evacuate the 600 ships and their crews that were trapped by the war.
On June 26, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said in a statement that safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz cannot be guaranteed without coordination with Iran, warning that failure to coordinate could result in the suspension of any designated transit routes.
The comments came after Oman, in coordination with the IMO, designated temporary transit routes through the strait.
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal reported on June 25 that Iran is seeking to generate billions of dollars in revenue from Hormuz as it positions itself to manage what it describes as a critical global oil artery disrupted at the onset of the war.
According to officials familiar with the matter, the Islamic Republic estimates that charging for security, safety and environmental services in the strait could bring in around $40 billion annually for the states involved.
f implemented, the plan would give Tehran both revenue and a level of control it did not previously hold before the war.
Iranian officials reportedly examined international models, including the Dardanelles, where Türkiye charges vessels a transit fee known as the “gold franc” under the 1936 Montreux Convention for passage between the Aegean and the Black Sea.
They also reviewed the Malacca Strait Patrol model, which involves cost-sharing among Asian states and a Japanese private foundation to fund multinational maritime patrols aimed at combating piracy.
