In the latest strait of hormuz news, tanker operators are being told not to pay Iran for passage through the waterway after a ceasefire agreed on Tuesday failed to restart traffic. The dispute centers on who controls safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran suggesting ships must seek permission and may still be targeted if they do not comply. The warning comes as US vice president JD Vance is set to meet Iranian representatives in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday to try to finalize details of a ceasefire deal already showing strain.
Phillip Belcher, speaking for Intertanko, said the group does not believe toll payments are the right answer. He said the industry remains deeply uneasy about sending ships through while attacks have not fully stopped and the security picture remains unsettled.
Tankers Urged to Hold Back
Intertanko, which represents 190 independent tanker operators and more than half of the world’s oil tanker fleet, is still advising members not to use the strait. Belcher said an attack could happen at any time, and added that the strait is not safe until there is a lasting cessation of conflict and some form of oversight that does not leave Iran in control of the passage.
He also said charging a toll runs against the idea of international law and free passage through international waterways. In his words, payment to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps should be avoided because the group is designated a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union. This strait of hormuz news has put pressure on shipowners trying to judge whether the route can be used without exposing crews and cargoes to danger.
Stalled Shipping, Rising Uncertainty
The war has sharply reduced tanker movement through the strait. Only 15 vessels have crossed since Tuesday, far below the average of almost 140 a day before the conflict began, and almost 800 ships are stranded in the Gulf, most of them loaded with cargo. The decline underscores how quickly the route has become a choke point for global energy flows, with a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies tied to the waterway.
Iran has indicated since the start of the war that it wants new rules for traffic moving through the strait. Some media reports have suggested transit fees could reach $2 million per ship, with proceeds shared between Iran and Oman, though those details have not been confirmed in the context of the ceasefire talks.
Official Warnings and Diplomatic Pressure
Arsenio Dominguez, secretary general of the International Maritime Organisation, said countries should respect the established right to freedom of navigation. He said international straits are for the use of everyone and that no toll restrictions should be imposed.
On the US side, President Trump initially suggested the United States and Iran could levy fees as a joint venture, then later posted that reports of Iran charging tankers through the Hormuz Strait should stop immediately. That shifting message has added another layer of uncertainty to the negotiations now expected to continue in the coming days.
What Comes Next
The focus now turns to Saturday’s meeting in Islamabad and whether the ceasefire can be stabilized before more ships are forced to stay away. For tanker firms, the immediate message is clear: avoid tolls, avoid assumptions, and wait for firmer guarantees before treating the strait of hormuz news as a sign that normal passage has returned.
