Status › Claim tracker › 2026-03-15

Iran government statement — False

2026-03-15 · Iranian Ministry of Roads and Urban Development · source: https://www.reuters.com/

Claim (verbatim)

The Islamic Republic of Iran will commence collection of safe-passage fees from foreign vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, in accordance with sovereign rights over adjacent territorial waters.

— Iran government statement, Iranian Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, 2026-03-15

Primary-source rebuttals

1. 2026-03-15 · International Maritime Organization (IMO)

   IMO position on international straits subject to transit passage under UNCLOS Part III: coastal states do not have authority to impose transit fees on vessels exercising the right of transit passage. The Strait of Hormuz is recognized as such an international strait.

   https://www.imo.org/

2. 2026-03-15 · U.S. Treasury OFAC

   OFAC has indicated payment of fees to Iran for Strait of Hormuz transit may expose payers to secondary sanctions under existing Iran sanctions programs.

   https://ofac.treasury.gov/recent-actions

Editorial note

The claim of sovereign authority to charge transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz is contradicted by UNCLOS Part III, the IMO, and the operational posture of every flag state and P&I club operating in the region. The Strait is an international strait subject to the right of transit passage; the regime of innocent passage (which permits limited coastal-state regulation) does not apply.

Verdict scale: false (1) · misleading (2) · disputed/partly-true (3) · confirmed (5). See tracker index for the full list. Editorial policy: claims are quoted verbatim; rebuttals link to primary sources only; PGSA.IO does not editorialize on top of source material. See about.