Overview
- Ebrahim Azizi, who posted Saturday, said Iran will soon roll out a designated shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz that charges fees and limits passage to commercial vessels that cooperate with Tehran, with U.S.-linked “Project Freedom” ships excluded.
- U.S. Central Command said as of May 16 it has redirected 78 commercial ships and disabled four vessels under a blockade on Iranian ports, while the Treasury’s sanctions office warned companies not to pay any Iranian tolls for passage.
- U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the strait could reopen by summer and warned the military could force it open if needed, as President Trump threatened Iran with a “very bad time” if talks fail and negotiations remain stalled by hardline demands on both sides.
- Iranian state TV said European governments have opened talks with the IRGC navy for transit, after some China-linked tankers crossed this week, and IRGC-affiliated media reported a new “Hormuz Safe” insurance service that accepts cryptocurrency for ships seeking cover.
- Shipping data show crossings collapsed to 191 in April from roughly 3,000 per month before the war, lifting fuel costs for consumers and tightening crude supplies, while Pakistan’s interior minister arrived in Tehran to try to revive the U.S.–Iran talks.