As the monthlong Gulf confrontation drags on, accusations of profiteering have multiplied. Fuel retailers hiked pump prices within hours of the opening strikes, oil companies stand to benefit from crude near $100 a barrel, and war‑risk insurance premiums have surged by hundreds of percent after Tehran effectively restricted traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. The most striking allegation is that Iran has begun demanding payments of up to $2 million for so‑called “safe passage.”
Lloyd’s List reported that at least one tanker is believed to have paid such a fee. Iranian statements have been inconsistent: some officials deny the practice, while lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi told state television that transit charges are part of a new sovereign arrangement intended to help cover war costs. If this is happening, legal specialists warn it would conflict with established international maritime law. Scholars such as Robert Huebert emphasize that freedom of navigation underpins global trade and that unilateral fees or blockades would prompt wide pushback from other states.
Practical realities limit how far any fees can go immediately. With more than 3,200 vessels reportedly stuck in the region, Peter Sand of shipping analytics firm Xeneta says safety — not the price tag — is the principal barrier to movement. Still, the mere willingness of major importers to enter negotiations and potentially pay large sums, on top of soaring insurance premiums, underscores how desperate fuel‑dependent countries are to restore supply lines.
How payments, if any, have been executed is unclear given sanctions that limit Tehran’s access to Western financial channels. Reports indicate India, Pakistan, Iraq, Malaysia and China have engaged in direct talks with Iranian officials about arranging transits. Bloomberg, citing unnamed sources, said several vessels have paid to transit but that these payments do not appear to be part of a formal or systematic program. One anonymous source suggested Iran could try to codify transit fees as part of a future peace settlement.
Iran has told the International Maritime Organization (IMO) it will allow “non‑hostile” ships to transit Hormuz under Tehran’s coordination, reportedly approving only three to five transits per day so far. The IMO is working on provisional measures to help evacuate confined merchant vessels and to protect seafarers’ lives and welfare, while encouraging ships willing to move to do so without being attacked.
Calls for naval escorts have grown louder. US President Donald Trump has urged European NATO allies to join a multinational escort mission to protect commercial shipping in the Gulf. Most European governments have so far resisted immediate involvement, though countries including Germany, France and Italy have signaled readiness to contribute once active hostilities subside. The IMO cautions that naval escorts are not a sustainable long‑term fix and stresses that a multilateral diplomatic path to de‑escalation is essential to restore safe, lawful civilian passage through one of the world’s most important waterways.
