On June 17, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, head of the Iranian negotiating team and Speaker of the Parliament, stated in an interview with state television, "The Hormuz Strait will not return to a pre-war state," confirming that tolls will be imposed after the expiration of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that allows for 60 days of free passage.
Ghalibaf emphasized, "Iran has the right to exercise sovereignty over the Hormuz Strait, and we will naturally charge for the services we provide."
However, he added, "This does not mean we will act in a manner contrary to international law or maritime navigation principles."
His remarks come amid growing uncertainty about how the management and toll issues for the Hormuz Strait will be resolved after the 60-day negotiation period concludes.
Article 5 of the MOU states, "Iran will do its utmost to ensure that commercial vessels navigating from the Persian Gulf to Oman and vice versa can do so safely and without cost for 60 days only." This limits the free passage period to just 60 days.
Another provision indicates that "Iran will engage in discussions with Oman and others to define future management and maritime services for the Hormuz Strait." This suggests that Iran may seek to maintain some level of control over the management of the strait in the future.
Consequently, Iran is likely to assert its position that it can impose tolls on civilian vessels after the free passage period ends, based on the MOU's stipulation of '60 days only without cost.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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