Iran has approved exemptions on transit fees for certain countries, including Russia, for vessels passing through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, according to Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Kazem Jalali.
Speaking to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Kazem Jalali said Tehran has already implemented fee waivers for certain nations.
“We have currently provided exceptions for some countries, though it is unclear how long this policy will continue,” he noted, adding that Iran’s foreign ministry is working to extend such concessions to allied states, including Russia.
The policy follows Iran’s recent decision to impose transit charges on vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz, citing increased security costs after military tensions involving the United States and Israel.
Iranian authorities have indicated that the waterway was temporarily closed and would be reopened once what they described as a US naval blockade is fully lifted.
Meanwhile, Hamid Reza Haji Babaei, first deputy speaker of the Iranian parliament, confirmed that Iran has, for the first time, begun collecting transit fees from ships using the strait, with revenues deposited into the country’s central bank.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, serving as the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean via the Gulf of Oman.
Prior to the recent conflict, roughly 20 million barrels of oil—about one-fifth of global daily consumption—passed through the narrow corridor each day, underscoring its global economic significance.
