Hormuz Transit Fee Dispute Persists as US Rejects Any Iranian Toll on Shipping

Al Jazeera reported Thursday, 15 Mordad 1405 (August 6, 2026), that even as Iran and Oman near an agreement on shipping-route coordinates through the Strait of Hormuz, the core dispute over a fee system for transiting vessels remains unresolved. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei and deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Wednesday, 14 Mordad (August 5), that technical talks with Oman on a temporary shipping corridor had reached a final stage, but that Iran is insisting on some form of toll system for passing ships.

US President Donald Trump said Monday, 12 Mordad (August 3), that he would not let Iran charge ships passing through the strait, adding that if anyone were to charge a fee, it would be the United States. A US official told the Associated Press, as reported by Al Jazeera, that Washington wants a full return to a system in which no party controls the lanes or the ability to transit them, without Iranian approval or payment required.

Eight major international shipping associations, in a letter made public Wednesday, 14 Mordad, urged UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the head of the International Maritime Organization to oppose any Hormuz transit tolls, warning that the move would violate international norms and harm the global economy.