Iran is facing new accusations from the Gulf Cooperation Council that it is charging vessels for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, adding another layer of uncertainty to the world's most critical oil and LNG chokepoint. GCC Secretary-General Jasem al-Budaiwi said Tehran has begun imposing transit fees on ships using the narrow waterway, a claim that, if confirmed, would further raise the cost of moving energy cargoes out of the Gulf.
The allegation comes as tanker owners, charterers and commodity traders are already dealing with elevated war-risk premiums, rerouting pressure and scarce available tonnage. Any formal or informal payment regime in Hormuz would effectively act as a surcharge on global crude and LNG trade, especially for Gulf exporters that rely on uninterrupted tanker movements to Asia and Europe.
TankerMap monitoring continues to show depressed traffic in the Arabian Gulf compared with normal seasonal patterns. The Strait of Hormuz normally handles around a fifth of global seaborne petroleum flows, and any additional cost or administrative friction is likely to ripple quickly through freight rates, delivered energy prices and vessel scheduling. Source: Al Jazeera