The United Nations Organization (UN) has squarely rejected any attempt to impose tolls on maritime transit in the Strait of Hormuz, considering that it would represent a break with the international legal framework and a risk to the stability of global trade. The Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Domínguez, has warned that this type of measure “would set a dangerous precedent” in a route considered strategic for energy and commercial transport worldwide.
“There is no international agreement that allows the introduction of tolls on this route,” Domínguez stressed in statements to BloombergTV, recalling that the Strait of Hormuz is an international maritime route subject to free navigation rules.
In this context, the UN has initiated direct contacts with Iran to try to re-establish the system in force before the outbreak of the conflict in the region or, failing that, agree on a new mechanism that guarantees security without violating international law. The Strait of Hormuz channels a significant part of global oil traffic, so any alteration in its conditions of use could have direct impact on energy markets and the global economy.
Iran limits transit to 15 vessels daily
Iran has warned that it will limit passage to only 15 ships daily through the Strait of Hormuz, according to information from the TASS agency, which cites a high-level Iranian source.
The strait, a corridor of just 34 kilometers wide between Iran and Oman, connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean and channels nearly one-fifth of the world's oil supply, in addition to other strategic goods such as fertilizers. Any restriction on its use has an immediate impact on global energy markets.