TEHRAN – A senior Iranian parliament official said on April 23 that Tehran has received the first revenue from tolls it imposed on the strategic Strait of Hormuz in its war with the United States and Israel.
“The first revenue received from the Strait of Hormuz tolls was deposited into the Central Bank account,” said deputy speaker of parliament Hamidreza Hajibabaei, according to Tasnim news agency.
Other Iranian media carried the same statement, without elaborating.
The Strait of Hormuz, a key energy chokepoint, has become a major flashpoint since the outbreak of the Middle East war on Feb 28.
Iran has allowed only a trickle of ships to pass through the waterway, a route that in peacetime accounts for a fifth of the world’s oil and gas flows, along with other vital commodities.
Before the announcement of revenue from tolls, Iran’s parliament had been deciding whether to impose them on shipping through the strait, with Iranian officials warning that maritime traffic through the strait would “not return to its pre-war status”.
On March 30, Iranian state media said the parliament’s security commission had approved plans to impose tolls, but it was not clear if a final parliamentary vote on the proposal had taken place.
US President Donald Trump has been pushing Iran to open the strait.
Britain, France and military planners from over 30 countries have held talks to protect navigation through the strait, with Paris and London saying they would lead a multinational mission as “soon as conditions allow”. AFP
