Tanker Operators Advised Against Paying Iran Toll for Strait of Hormuz Passage

Following a ceasefire agreement on April 8, 2026, Iran has demanded toll payments from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route.

However, tanker operators have been advised not to comply with these demands due to safety and legal concerns.

Iran has indicated that ships must seek its permission to transit the strait or risk being "targeted and destroyed." The country has also suggested it may levy fees for safe passage, a move that has raised alarm among international shipping groups.

Phillip Belcher, representing Intertanko, which advocates for 190 independent tanker operators and over half of the global oil tanker fleet, stated that paying tolls to Iran is not the appropriate approach.

He emphasized that the strait remains unsafe amid ongoing conflict and that attacks on vessels could occur at any time.

The ceasefire agreement, intended to reopen the strait for traffic, has not yet resulted in resumed shipping activity.

Continued air strikes in the region and a stalemate over control of the waterway have contributed to the ongoing disruption.

Intertanko has called for international oversight of the strait to ensure free and safe passage, arguing that Iran's current de facto control, particularly through the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, undermines international maritime law.

The IRGC is designated as a terrorist organization by both the US and the EU, further complicating the situation.

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