With the outcome of negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz uncertain, companies and countries are grappling with the prospect that Iran will try to impose long-term fees on passing tankers and commercial ships.
The US placed sanctions on a newly created Iranian agency tasked with collecting transit fees, and warned Oman against participating in any fee collection plan. Chevron CEO Mike Wirth also said in an interview with Bloomberg that he will not consider paying a toll to move oil through the strait. But Qatar appears to be more flexible, with a top official saying on Sunday that the country would be willing to negotiate on fees collected for mine clearance or other short-term activities.
Next steps for reopening the strait remain unclear: Trump told CNBC on Monday “I really don’t care. I couldn’t care less” if talks with Tehran fall through.
