Iran Puts Forward New Conditions for Passage Through Strait of Hormuz

Iran's parliament is considering a bill to ban US, Israeli, and other vessels from passing through the Strait of Hormuz, targeting countries deemed hostile to the 'Axis of Resistance.' The draft includes a full ban for unfriendly nations, blocking cargo linked to Israel, seizing ships acting against Iran's partners, demanding compensation, and imposing fines up to 20% of cargo value. Meanwhile, Tehran and Oman are negotiating a reform of shipping routes, with a shift to a single central corridor.

Iran's parliament is considering a controversial bill that could drastically change shipping rules in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf, as reported by the Fars news agency. The document proposes a complete ban on transit for vessels flying the flags of the US, Israel, and other unfriendly states, blocking the transport of any goods linked to Israel, and the seizure and blocking of ships found acting against Iran's regional partners. Countries or individuals who have harmed Iran would be barred from passage until full compensation is paid. Violators would face fines of up to 20% of the total cargo value. Control over navigation, security, environmental monitoring, and traffic tracking would be assigned to the government and armed forces, with service fees collected. In parallel, Tehran and Muscat are negotiating a reform of shipping routes: in the first phase, ships would enter via the northern route (Iran's zone) and exit via the southern route (Oman's zone), then all traffic would be redirected to a single central corridor, with entry controlled by Tehran and exit jointly. Fees would be tied to the volume of services, not cargo value; rumors of a 3% or 7% tariff have been denied. The initiative remains a draft bill for now.