Iran don start new plan to charge ships wey dey pass through Strait of Hormuz, but analysts say di move go fail because e violate international law. Di strait na international waterway, so countries no get right to demand toll for safe passage.
Arsenio Dominguez, head of International Maritime Organization, tok say im no go entertain any talk about mandatory tolls. Freedom of navigation and right of innocent passage must stand.
Michelle Wiese Bockmann from Windward believe say Iran just dey posture for di prolonged standoff with President Trump. But di stakes high because 11 billion tons of global trade dey transported by sea every year.
If you remove freedom of navigation for Strait of Hormuz, where you go draw di line? Dat go open other choke points for negotiation for times of contested waters.
Iran call di proposal service charge, transit fee, or environmental charges. But international law say countries fit charge for artificial waterways like Panama Canal and Suez Canal, but straits wey dey used for international navigation must be free.
Insurance also dey big problem. Ships wey pay Iran fit violate US and Western sanctions, so insurers no go gree cover dem. US Treasury don warn ship operators no to pay Iran, and many European countries get dia own sanctions.
No Western company don publicly admit to pay Iran. Even though shippers dey desperate to free dia vessels wey dey stranded for Persian Gulf, most no dey willing to engage for such transactions.
President Trump tok say United States no go condone any toll system for di strait. We want am free, e say. E be international waterway.
But Iran don announce new steps to consolidate control. On Monday, dem launch Persian Gulf Strait Authority to run operations and oversee charge wey fit reach $2 million per vessel. Last Saturday, dem introduce Hormuz Safe plan wey go allow shipping companies pay for insurance coverage using cryptocurrency.
Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy say di only safe route for transit na via corridor wey Iran designate, and any ship wey deviate fit risk attack.
India, Iraq, Pakistan, and other countries don negotiate arrangements with Iran to get dia ships through. But di main entities wey dey pay fees na owners of shadow fleet vessels linked to China and United Arab Emirates.
On Wednesday, Iran say e dey expand di area e claim to control to waters around Strait of Hormuz, including part of Gulf of Oman. Since Israeli forces attack Iran for late February, traffic for di strait don reduce to trickle. About 1,500 ships and 20,000 seafarers remain stranded for Persian Gulf.
Oscar Seikaly from NSI Insurance Group say Iran attempts no go work. Iran no get real control because US Central Command don redirect 94 commercial vessels and disable four Iranian vessels. Iran no fit export im own oil, and e dey soon run out of storage space for Kharg Island, where facilities dey more than 80 percent full.
Iran threats fit make other countries consider what leverage dem fit exert over international straits dem border. For Strait of Malacca, Indonesia finance minister don briefly mention tolls, but dem quickly shoot am down.
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