Iran could issue a 30-day deadline for reopening the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian management in light of US actions, a member of Iran’s negotiating team said in a recent interview with the country’s semi-official Fars news agency.

“Under this proposal, Tehran should announce that the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian administration will only be possible 30 days after all threats from the United States and its allies have been removed,” Majid Shakeri, a member of Iran’s negotiating team during recent Islamabad talks, said.

The US placed a naval blockade on the strait in April, after Iran effectively shuttered the waterway following the start of US-Israeli strikes on February 28.

Meanwhile, Shina Ansari, head of Iran’s Department of Environment, has said that a proposal to charge maritime and environmental service fees in the Strait of Hormuz is under review.

“The discussion is not merely about collecting fees; rather, it concerns the provision of services, which could include navigational guidance, search-and-rescue operations, ensuring the security of vessels, and protecting the marine environment,” Ansari said according to Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency.

The proposed fees will partially relate to environmental damage caused by shipping traffic and the risks posed to marine ecosystems, she said.

Amid stalled US-Iran peace talks, commercial traffic through the key waterway remains significantly reduced. The strait’s future remains in question as negotiations are still deadlocked, however Iranian officials have reiterated Tehran’s sovereignty over the strait, alongside Oman. Ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz with Iranian permission are now being charged an average fee of between $1.5 and $2 million, according to a senior member of Iran’s parliament.

The US has insisted the strait must be “completely open” to commercial shipping after the war, with zero tolls or conditions.

Source: CNN

– Agencies