Iran has officially begun collecting revenue from its newly imposed shipping tolls in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a move that signals a tightening grip on the world’s most critical energy chokepoint.
On Thursday, Deputy Parliament Speaker Hamidreza Hajibabaei confirmed that the first payments have been processed.
According to the state-affiliated Tasnim news agency, Hajibabaei stated, “The first revenue received from the Strait of Hormuz tolls was deposited into the Central Bank account.”
The announcement follows weeks of tension and de facto blockade that has seen global oil prices surge toward $100 per barrel.
While the exact scale of the fees remain undisclosed, recent reports suggest some tankers have paid up to $2 million for safe passage.
The move comes amid a fragile maritime standoff.
Despite a conditional ceasefire with the United States, Tehran has insisted that traffic will “not return to its pre-war status” unless a naval blockade on Iranian ports is lifted.
International leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump have warned against what they term “blackmail” of global trade, while European officials fear the disruption could cost the global economy hundreds of millions of dollars daily.
