Guardian: Europe Considers Proposal for Transit Fees in Strait of Hormuz
The British newspaper The Guardian has reported that European countries are considering a proposal to impose navigation service fees in the Strait of Hormuz; the plan is said to have a possibility of approval. At the same time, Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, has traveled to Oman to discuss regional developments, particularly the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, with officials from that country.
According to The Guardian, some senior members of the UK government believe that charging for navigation services in international waterways has precedents, with examples such as the Strait of Malacca and the English Channel demonstrating that such mechanisms can be practical and accepted.
The specific proposal concerning the Strait of Hormuz has been prepared by Oman in cooperation with British legal experts, drawing its framework from the toll collection system in the Strait of Malacca. It has been reported that Oman has offered to send its legal experts to Tehran to explain the plan’s details.
Meanwhile, the deputy to UK Prime Minister David Lammy has warned that imposing mandatory transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz could be “disastrous.” The Strait of Hormuz is considered one of the world’s most important waterways for energy transit, and any changes in its management method will have wide regional and international repercussions.
