Iran plans to impose tolls on all tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz during the ongoing two-week ceasefire with the United States. Hamid Hosseini, spokesperson for the Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union, confirmed Iran will collect tolls from every tanker transiting the strait while conducting individual vessel inspections.
Hosseini stated Tehran requires monitoring of all entries and exits through the waterway to prevent weapons movement during the ceasefire period. All ships will receive passage permission, though each vessel undergoes mandatory inspection procedures consuming additional transit time.
Tankers must email Iranian authorities with detailed cargo manifests, ownership documents, crew lists, and real-time AIS tracking data prior to transit approval. Iran notifies each vessel of its specific toll calculated at $1 per barrel of oil cargo payable exclusively in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. Vessels receive only seconds to complete blockchain payment post-inspection before passage authorization.
A Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) transporting 2 million barrels faces a $2 million Bitcoin payment. The cryptocurrency requirement prevents international sanctions from tracking or seizing transit revenue flows.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council holds final authority determining specific passage conditions including potential mandatory usage of northern shipping lanes adjacent to Iranian coastline. This routing raises operational risks for Western-flagged or Gulf state-owned tankers preferring southern international waters.
Hosseini confirmed IRGC-affiliated brokerage firms coordinate toll collection and inspection protocols established post-US military operations. Compliant vessels receive Iranian Navy escorts through designated lanes following blockchain-verified payments.
The policy affects 21 million barrels daily transiting the world’s most critical energy chokepoint, representing 30% of global seaborne oil trade. $1/barrel tolls generate approximately $21 million daily revenue from tanker traffic alone during the 14-day ceasefire window.
This toll regime coincides with Saudi East-West pipeline drone attacks that triggered 3.2% Brent crude spike earlier today. US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced sustained American military presence “hanging around” post-Iran operations protecting Gulf energy flows.
Iranian Oil Union procedures bypass SWIFT network entirely through decentralized cryptocurrency settlement. Blockchain transactions provide immutable audit trails while evading dollar-based financial surveillance systems.
Hosseini’s confirmation formalizes weeks of IRGC maritime threats during US-Iran confrontation. Tanker operators face new compliance burdens including cryptocurrency wallet infrastructure and northern lane navigation requirements during northern hemisphere summer peak demand.
Iran maintains selective passage authority despite ceasefire terms demanding unrestricted Hormuz access. Supreme National Security Council determines final routing protocols and inspection stringency levels through ceasefire duration.