Iran has opened a safe passage, with an oil tanker paying $2 million in tolls.

AI Oil Tankers Pay $2 Million in Tolls—What Hidden Strategies Are Behind the Payment Methods Under Sanctions?

【Text / The Observer Network, Ruan Jiaqing】

Recently, there have been reports that Iran is studying the implementation of tolls for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Although the official confirmation has not yet been made, signs indicate that Iran has activated a vessel verification mechanism and has begun collecting fees from passing ships.

On March 20, Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post cited maritime authority media Lloyd’s List, stating that multiple informed sources familiar with the passage confirmed that at least one oil tanker operator paid approximately $2 million to Iran in exchange for passage rights through the strait. Due to Iran’s widespread international sanctions, the specific payment methods for this fund remain unclear.

Additionally, several other oil tankers have been granted passage after undergoing Iranian inspections and high-level diplomatic coordination. Richard Meder, editor-in-chief of Lloyd’s List, confirmed on Thursday that “governments of multiple countries, including China, India, Pakistan, Iraq, and Malaysia, are directly negotiating with Tehran to coordinate their ships’ transit arrangements.”

Although passage through the strait is currently approved on a case-by-case basis, Lloyd’s List mentioned that the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is expected to introduce a more standardized vessel verification process in the coming days.

Reportedly, Iran has established a “secure” shipping corridor within its territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz, passing near Larak Island, facilitating visual inspections by the Revolutionary Guard and port authorities.

The Guard has set up an initial vessel registration system, issuing safety permits to “approved” ships; ships planning to use this route must report detailed information such as shipowner details and cargo destination in advance.

Left image: Regular route before conflict; right image: Ships rerouting around Larak Island via Iranian waters. Only purple ships still follow the conventional route through the Strait of Hormuz. Lloyd’s List map.

So far, it is unclear which ships have directly applied for permits from the IRGC, but at least nine vessels have used this “safe route” to exit the strait. It is not yet confirmed whether all these ships paid fees.

Maritime security expert Dmitris Maniatis told Lloyd’s List, “The Iranian government and related industries are working to establish a procedure to provide a confirmation channel for ships unconnected to the US and Israel, ensuring their safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.”

“He added that the matter is still handled on a case-by-case basis, with governments communicating with Iranian authorities to inform them of ships entering the Middle East Gulf and applying for transit permits.”

Sources revealed that this approach was gradually implemented after Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi issued a statement on March 15, expressing Iran’s openness to negotiations with countries seeking “safe passage” for their ships. Subsequently, Iran adopted a new strategy, promising to provide safe channels for ships allied with non-US and non-Israeli countries.

According to Lloyd’s List, on Tuesday, the US-sanctioned product tanker “Blooming Dale” became the first vessel recorded by the Automatic Identification System (AIS) to enter Middle Eastern waters via this “safe route” heading west; two other US-sanctioned liquefied gas ships, “Sea Bird” and “Salute,” also used this route, heading east and west respectively.

Prior to this, more ships appeared to have chosen this rerouting, including six bulk carriers departing from Iran and the Pakistan-flagged Aframax oil tanker “Karachi.”

Two of these bulk carriers turned off their AIS signals near the strait, making their routes around Larak Island untraceable, but signals reappeared near the Iranian coast, suggesting they also rerouted.

The maritime intelligence platform Windward released a report Tuesday indicating that between Sunday and Monday, at least five ships chose to bypass the shorter international route and pass through Iranian waters via the Strait of Hormuz. Windward noted that this ship positioning data “further confirms Iran’s implementation of a permit-based passage and control system in the strait.”

According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), approximately 20,000 seafarers and 2,000 ships are currently stranded in the Gulf waters. The organization has called for the establishment of a “safe maritime framework” to facilitate the quick evacuation of stranded ships in the Persian Gulf.

At a special meeting on Thursday regarding Middle East tensions, IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim stated, “I am ready to immediately initiate negotiations to open humanitarian corridors and evacuate all stranded ships and crew members.”

Iran has denied blocking the strait. In a letter to the IMO, Iran described the claims as “misleading” and expressed dissatisfaction that the organization’s statement did not mention US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

Lloyd’s List quoted Iran’s statement: “Iran rejects false accusations that it is attempting to hinder legitimate navigation,” emphasizing that maritime security cannot be achieved through “threats” and “coercion.”

Additionally, according to Reuters, on March 19, the late Supreme Leader Khamenei’s advisor, Mohammad Moghimi, stated that after the end of the war, “a new order will be established in the Strait of Hormuz.”

He said, “With the strategic position of the Strait of Hormuz, we can impose sanctions on the West and prevent their ships from passing.”

On the same day, Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi told Al Jazeera that the US should be held responsible for the ongoing regional conflict. He denied that Iran targets civilians and warned that the US military presence in the Gulf will inevitably escalate tensions. Araghchi also hinted that Iran might introduce new navigation rules for the Strait of Hormuz.

This article is an exclusive report by The Observer Network. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.