Iran reclosed the vital Strait of Hormuz this past weekend, citing Israel’s latest attacks on Lebanon, a move that weaponizes a critical global chokepoint and underscores Tehran's role in fueling regional instability through its proxy network. The closure, which the U.S. was quick to contest, came despite an interim deal signed this year between Iran and the U.S. aimed at ending a war that had already constricted global oil supplies and fueled inflation. Maritime tracking data confirmed that dozens of ships passed through the strait on Saturday and Sunday, though far fewer than the daily average before the conflict.
Iran's Strategic Chokehold
Iran's lead negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, insisted on Monday that the Strait of Hormuz would be managed by Iran and would follow international laws. This claim was made while Qalibaf was returning from Switzerland, speaking with Iran state media. Iran last month established a new governmental authority, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, to collect money from ships and has stated it expects vessels to register with this entity. Early in the war, Iran threatened to attack ships that attempted to use the Strait of Hormuz without its explicit approval, initiating a vetting process that shipping analysts labeled a “tollbooth” or a “pay-to-pass scheme.” In early April of this year, Iran demanded the right to collect tolls as a precondition for relinquishing its chokehold on the strait.
The main central route of the Strait of Hormuz remains mined and closed, forcing ships to use the smaller northern route through Iranian waters or the southern route through Omani waters. As part of the provisional Iran-U.S. framework, Iran committed to conducting demining work within 30 days and removing “technical and military obstacles” to shipping. Data and analytics company Kpler reported that its tracking confirmed 131 ships traveled through the strait between Friday and Monday, including 39 crossings on Monday, a stark contrast to the 100 to 130 vessels that made the journey daily before the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran in late February. Kpler also noted that “caution is still clear” among many vessels, with some adhering to Iran’s prescribed route or attempting to conceal their positions and identities by disabling transponders.
International Law and Western Response
Legal experts and maritime associations have repeatedly emphasized that any toll regime would undermine decades of international trade precedent concerning the world’s waters. The United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea, which took effect on its 32nd anniversary this year, codifies the principle of freedom of peaceful navigation, granting ships the right of unimpeded “transit passage” through over 100 straits globally, including the Strait of Hormuz. James Kraska, a U.S. Naval War College professor of international maritime law, stated that fees in this context are “just not lawful,” explaining that they can only be applied at established ports of entry or for specifically requested services.
While Oman is among the more than 170 countries that have ratified the U.N. convention, neither the U.S. nor Iran are parties to it, though both are members of the International Maritime Organization. President Donald Trump suggested on Saturday that the U.S. might impose its own tolls on strait crossings if a final deal with Iran was not reached during the countries’ 60-day negotiating period, citing “services rendered as the Guardian Angel to the countries of the Middle East.” The Trump administration had previously imposed sanctions on the Persian Gulf Strait Authority last month, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent describing Tehran’s actions as an attempt to extort global maritime trade. However, shipping analysts have expressed surprise at the extent of control over the strait granted to Iran in the initial agreement, with Philip Belcher, marine director of Intertanko, noting that “almost all the power goes into Iran to determine the arrangements going forward.” The interim deal does not include language for keeping the strait toll-free beyond the negotiating window, leaving the situation precarious.