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Iran has assured that “friendly” nations that supported it during the recent Middle East conflict will receive special treatment when new service fees are introduced for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Ambassador to China, Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, made the announcement at the World Peace Forum in Beijing.
The move comes after Iran and the United States (US) reached an initial agreement to end their conflict.
Under the deal, commercial ships can use the Strait of Hormuz free of charge for 60 days, although it is still unclear what will happen after that period.
Fazli said Iran is working with Oman to introduce new arrangements for managing the strategic waterway.
“As a country where the Hormuz is part of its territorial waters, we will definitely charge service fees,” he said, adding that the charges should not be seen as a toll.
According to him, the fees will help cover the cost of securing the shipping route, monitoring vessel movement, and addressing environmental impacts caused by the large number of ships using the strait.
“We will definitely consider special treatment for the countries that were friendly to us and stood by us during the hard times,” he added.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s busiest shipping routes, carrying about 20% of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas exports.
Iran had largely closed the waterway during the recent Middle East war, causing global energy prices to surge.
The blockade was lifted after Tehran reached the initial ceasefire agreement with Washington, while negotiations on a permanent peace deal are still ongoing.
