Irans new toll booth entity claims 300 ships have signed up for safe passage through Strait of Hormuz

At least 300 non-Iranian ships have applied for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz with Tehran’s new authority seeking to create a permanent toll system along the vital passageway.The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) said the majority of the ships applying were oil tankers, with at least 77% of the applicants looking to exit the Persian Gulf to reach Asia, particularly China and India, two of the Middle East’s largest fuel buyers.The PGSA, which is under US sanctions, noted that the permits would not be given to “hostile countries,” a term it has used to describe America and Israel, along with their allies.

“In accordance with the declared policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the PGSA does not have the authority to issue permits for the passage of ships from hostile countries, and in conditions of restrictions arising from war, it prioritizes the passage of ships associated with aligned governments,” the agency added.The PSGA did not say how much each ship would be charged for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, with previous reports suggesting oil tankers could pay as much as $2 million to the Islamic republic.The US has instructed vessels not to pay Iran’s exorbitant fees, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent sanctioning the PSGA last week.

“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to ​extort global ​maritime trade ⁠is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for ​cash,” Bessent said, adding that anyone who provides money to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps faces sanctions from the US.The PGSA’s remarks came as the IRGC announced that its naval forces have escorted 24 vessels through the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours.The IRGC also confirmed that it was behind the attack on the Panama-flagged MSC Sariska V container ship near Kuwait as retaliation for the US strike on the Iranian vessel M/V Lian Star.

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