WSJ: Iran Uses Cease-Fire to Tighten Grip on Hormuz, Limiting Daily Ship Crossings to About 12 and Charging Fees

BlockBeats News, April 9th, according to WSJ reports, under the US-Iran ceasefire framework, Iran is strengthening its actual control of the Strait of Hormuz, restricting the passage of vessels to about 12 per day and requiring advance coordination fees and passage permits.

The report stated that all vessels must obtain approval from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to pass. Data shows that since April, the lowest number of vessels allowed to pass in a single day was only 4, while the pre-war daily average exceeded 100 vessels.

Iran is pushing for the establishment of a tiered fee system:
Vessels carrying Iranian goods can pass for free
Vessels from friendly countries must pay a fee
Vessels related to the US or Israel may be restricted from passing

Industry insiders say the passage fee for a supertanker could be as high as $2 million. If the relevant arrangements are implemented long-term, Iran could gain critical control over approximately 20% of global oil supply. Currently, the US continues to advocate for freedom of navigation in the strait, but there are no signs of Iran relaxing its control. Analysts believe that this move has become Iran's core bargaining chip in the ceasefire negotiations and will continue to disrupt the global energy and shipping markets.