The Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Gulf of Oman to the Gulf of Oman, has been attracting attention from around the world since Israel and the United States began their war with Iran in February.
Until the fighting began, the narrow waterway, through which 20% of the world’s peacetime supplies of oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) were transported from Gulf producers, was free and safe for shipping. This strait is shared by Iran and Oman and does not fall under the category of international waters.
Recommended Stories
List of 4 itemsend of list
After the United States and Israel launched a strike, Iran retaliated by attacking “enemy” merchant ships in the strait, effectively halting all human traffic, stranding ships and causing one of the worst global energy distribution crises in history.
Tehran continued to refuse to reopen the strait to all traffic earlier this week despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to bomb Iran’s power plants and bridges. Trump backed off his threat after a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan was declared Tuesday night.
It follows Iran’s 10-point peace proposal, which Trump described as a “viable” basis for negotiating a permanent end to hostilities.
As part of the ceasefire, Tehran announced formal terms that will guide its future control of the strait. The United States did not directly acknowledge the terms ahead of talks scheduled to begin Friday in Islamabad. But analysts said Tehran’s continued control would be unpopular not only with Washington but also with other countries.
During the crisis, only a few ships from certain countries considered friendly to Iran and those that pay tolls have been granted safe passage. Tolls on at least two ships are believed to have been paid in Chinese yuan, a strategy seen as a strategy to avoid US sanctions while weakening the US dollar. China, which purchases 80% of Iran’s oil, is already paying Iran in yuan.
Here’s what we know about how deliveries will proceed from now on.
Who controls the Channel now?
On Tuesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would allow safe passage through the strait during the ceasefire period, taking due account of technological limitations and cooperation with Iranian forces.
On Wednesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) released a map of the strait showing a safe route for ships to follow. The map appears to show the ships heading further north towards the Iranian coast and away from their traditional routes closer to the Omani coast.
“Due to the potential presence of various types of anti-ship mines in key traffic areas, all ships must use the new navigational charts,” the IRGC said in a statement.
It is unclear whether Iran will collect tolls during the ceasefire.
But Trump said Tuesday that the United States would “help increase traffic” in the strait and that U.S. troops would “roam” while negotiations proceed.
The strait will be “open and secure,” he posted on his Truth social media site on Thursday, saying U.S. troops would not leave the area and threatening to renew attacks if talks do not go well.
It is not known to what extent the U.S. military is currently in control of what is happening in the strait.
Delhi-based maritime analyst C Uday Bhaskar told Al Jazeera that there was a lot of “uncertainty” about who could transit the strait and that only three to five ships had passed since the fighting stopped.
How will Iran’s 10-point plan affect the strait?
Among Tehran’s main demands outlined in the 10-point plan: that the United States and Israel permanently halt all attacks against Iran and its allies, especially Lebanon, lift all sanctions and allow Iran to maintain control over Hormuz. The plan has not yet been fully revealed but is understood to be a starting point for talks.
Iranian media say Iran is considering a plan to charge up to $2 million per vessel to share with Oman on the other side of the strait. Other reports suggest that Iran could charge $1 per barrel of oil shipped.
Tehran said the proceeds generated would be used to rebuild military and civilian infrastructure damaged by the U.S.-Israeli airstrikes.
Oman rejected this idea. Transport Minister Said Al-Maawali said on Wednesday that the Omanis had previously “signed all international maritime transport agreements” without any fees.
How does international law regulate shipping charges?
Critics of Iran’s plan to impose tolls say it violates international laws for safe maritime passage and should not be part of the final cease-fire agreement.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) states that charges cannot be imposed on ships passing through international straits or territorial waters.
The law allows coastal states to collect fees for services such as navigational assistance or port use, but not for the passage itself.
However, neither the United States nor Iran have ratified the agreement.
Even if you did, there may still be a way to avoid this law. Analyst Baskar told Al Jazeera that if Iran were to charge a fee to clear the strait and make it safe for passage again, this could be permissible under maritime law.
There is no precedent in recent history for countries to formally impose taxes on passage through international straits or waterways.
An October 2024 UN Security Council report claimed that Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels were collecting ‘illegal fees’ from shipping companies to allow ships to transit the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where they targeted ships linked to Israel during the war in Gaza.
Last week, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s top adviser suggested the Houthis could again close the Bab al-Mandeb shipping route in consideration of war with Iran.
How will countries react to the Hormuz toll?
Tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz are likely to have the greatest impact on oil and gas producing countries in the Gulf region, but as the current supply shock shows, the ripple effect will spread to other countries as well.
The Gulf countries, which issued statements on Wednesday calling for the corridor to be reopened and praising the ceasefire, will also face ongoing uncertainty as Iran could disrupt the flow again in the future, analysts say.
Before the ceasefire was announced, Bahrain had already proposed a resolution in the UN Security Council calling on member states to coordinate and jointly reopen the corridor by “all necessary means.” It received support from Qatar, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Jordan. On April 7, 11 out of 15 UNSC members voted in favor of this resolution.
But Russia and China vetoed the resolution, saying it was biased against Iran and did not mention earlier attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel.
Beyond the region, observers said the United States was unlikely to accept Iran’s demand for indefinite tolls as part of negotiations expected to begin on Friday.
“Tolls to pass through the Strait of Hormuz would not be in line with President Trump and his expectations that the strait should be open to everyone,” said Amin Sykal, a professor at the Australian National University.
Other powers also voiced opposition. Britain has begun discussions with 40 other countries to find ways to reopen the Channel ahead of the ceasefire.
The practical reality of the Strait could see a different scenario where shipowners lose millions of dollars every day and their ships remain stranded and undamaged to quickly rescue them, experts say. They are more likely to follow Iran, at least for now.
“If I were the owner of a very large crude carrier (VLCC) weighing about 300,000 tonnes and worth $2.5 billion… I would believe the Iranians if I told them we had laid a mine,” Bhaskar said.
