Iran denies reports of $2 million transit fee on ships in Strait of Hormuz: 'Not official position'

Iran has rejected media reports claiming it plans to levy a $2 million transit fee on vessels passing through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, calling such assertions “unfounded” and not reflective of its official position.

In a post on X, the Embassy of Iran in India said, “In response to certain claims regarding the alleged receipt of a sum of 2 million dollars by the Islamic Republic of Iran from vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, it is emphasized that such claims are unfounded,” the embassy said.

“The statements made in this regard merely reflect the personal views of individuals and do not, in any way, represent the official position of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” it added.

The clarification comes after several media reports suggested that Iran had decided to charge select vessels $2 million to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil and gas shipments, amid its ongoing conflict involving the United States and Israel.

The reports cited Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a member of parliament’s national security committee, as saying the toll had already been implemented and reflected a new “sovereign regime” in the strait.

“Collecting USD 2 million as transit fees from some vessels crossing the strait reflects Iran’s strength,” Boroujerdi said in remarks aired on Iranian media, adding that “because war has costs, naturally we must do this and take transit fees.”

The reported comments came against the backdrop of escalating rhetoric between Tehran and Washington over the status of the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump warned that Washington could target Iran’s power infrastructure if the strait was not kept fully open, saying in a social media post that failure to do so within 48 hours would invite military action.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that external pressure would only strengthen national unity, asserting that the strait would remain open “to all except those who violate our soil.”

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi asserted that the Strait of Hormuz was not formally closed but that “ships hesitate because insurers fear the war of choice you initiated—not Iran.”

“Freedom of Navigation cannot exist without Freedom of Trade. Respect both—or expect neither,” Araghchi wrote on X.

Iran Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said that any US attack on Iranian infrastructure would make critical facilities across the region, including energy and desalination plants, “legitimate targets” that could be “irreversibly destroyed.”