Iran moved early in the war to exert control over maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz by introducing a system under which tankers are asked to pay around 2 million dollars per voyage for transit permits, with the process overseen by a committee led by Mohammad‑Bagher Zolghadr, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council. The initiative, designed to monetise Iran’s de‑facto dominance of the chokepoint, has so far produced limited results, according to open‑source diplomatic and security channels cited on 16 April 2026, with only about 60 transit‑permit applications cleared, payment requests sent for just eight shiploads, and no significant revenue actually collected to date.

Several trade‑analysis and policy‑watch sources attribute the shortfall to weak management of the approval and payment architecture, including fragmented coordination between the IRGC‑linked maritime units, customs structures, and foreign‑exchange channels, as well as confusion among shipping firms about which Iranian entity holds final authority. The low yield has reportedly triggered concern at high levels of the Iranian government and within the office of the Supreme Leader, prompting internal discussions about restructuring the scheme and, in some accounts, about relieving Zolghadr of direct oversight of the Strait‑transit‑fee file and shifting it to President Masoud Pezeshkian’s orbit for greater political‑bureaucratic control.

Even as Iranian officials publicly insist that the Strait remains under their control and that selective transit corridors are operating for approved vessels, the limited monetary return from the 2‑million‑dollar‑per‑voyage structure underlines how difficult it is to convert naval dominance into a stable, predictable revenue stream amid international resistance, sanctions, and alternative routing by global shippers.

Key highlights

  • Iran set up a committee led by Mohammad‑Bagher Zolghadr to charge about 2 million dollars per tanker for Strait transit.

  • Only about 60 permits issued and payment requests for eight shipments; no major funds collected so far.

  • Poor management of the process is cited as a key reason for the scheme’s weak results.

  • Concerns have emerged at the top levels of Iran’s government and the Supreme Leader’s office.

  • Talks are reportedly under way about shifting control of the transit‑fee file to President Pezeshkian.

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TOPICS: 16 April 2026 Iran Iran‑sanctions compliance Iran–U.S. conflict IRGC maritime security Masoud Pezeshkian Mohammad‑Bagher Zolghadr oil trade revenue‑monetisation shipping corridor Strait of Hormuz Supreme National Security Council tanker tolls transit fees