Iran said it will soon unveil a new system to manage the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. With tensions rising over the Middle East energy corridor, the move is seen as Iran's attempt to institutionalize control over the strait.
According to Iran's state-run IRIB and others, Ebrahim Azizi, Chairperson of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on the 16th (local time), "We have prepared a professional mechanism to protect national sovereignty and the security of international trade," adding, "We will soon announce a plan to manage ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz."
Azizi said the new system will not apply to all ships. He said, "Only commercial vessels and countries cooperating with Iran will benefit," indicating that routes linked to hostile forces will continue to be blocked.
He also noted that Iran could collect costs and fees in return for services it provides to ships. Earlier this month, Iran said it had introduced a new traffic management method requiring prior authorization for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz is a key sea lane connecting the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. About 20% of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments pass through it, so if restrictions on passage materialize, they could directly affect international oil prices, marine insurance premiums, and Asia's energy supply.
The United States and the West see Iran's tighter control of passage as potentially infringing on freedom of navigation. Iran, by contrast, argues that the strait spans its and Oman's territorial waters and frames the measures as a sovereign step to organize traffic order. The dispute over control of the Strait of Hormuz is emerging as a new source of instability in the Middle East.