Overview
- Iran is running an IRGC vet-and-escort system that grants a permission code, routes ships through a corridor near Larak Island, and reportedly collects about $1 per barrel with payments in yuan or cryptocurrency.
- Countries are ranked on a five-tier friendliness scale that shapes fees and conditions, and ships flagged to approved states receive escorts while unapproved vessels have been turned back.
- A CMA CGM container ship and two Mitsui-related vessels have crossed the strait under this tightened control, though terms remain unclear and AFP suggested one Mitsui transit may have used Oman-side waters to avoid Iran’s corridor.
- ASEAN governments have pursued one-on-one guarantees with Tehran, with the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand announcing assurances for their flagged ships as energy importers scramble to keep fuel flowing.
- The UN Security Council delayed a vote on a resolution to allow defensive measures to secure passage, legal experts question any tolls in an international strait, estimates peg potential oil-fee revenue near $20 million per day, and the U.S. president warned Iran to lift restrictions within 48 hours or face stronger attacks.