Iran announces Hormuz 'professional mechanism' May 16

Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of the Iranian parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on May 16 that Tehran had prepared a “professional mechanism” to manage traffic through the Strait of Hormuz along a designated route and would collect fees for “specialized services.” He said in a post on X that only commercial vessels and parties cooperating with Iran would benefit from the system, and that operators of what he called the “freedom project” would be excluded. (en.mfa.gov.ir) Iranian state-linked reporting and republications of Reuters described the plan as the next step in Tehran’s effort to regulate passage through the waterway after weeks of wartime restrictions and temporary arrangements. (globalsecurity.org) Iran’s foreign ministry and senior officials had already laid out the legal and political frame for such a move. A March 22 foreign ministry statement said Iran, as the coastal state, had prevented the transit of vessels belonging to or associated with what it called the aggressor parties and said U.S. and Israeli-linked passage would be handled under a wartime legal framework. A separate April 8 statement issued on behalf of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said safe passage would be possible for two weeks through coordination with Iran’s armed forces. (globalsecurity.org) ### What exactly did Iran say on May 16? Azizi said on May 16 that Iran had prepared a mechanism to manage traffic in the Strait of Hormuz “along a designated route” and that the plan would be unveiled soon. He said “necessary fees” would be collected for the specialized services provided under that mechanism. The May 16 statement did not set out a tariff schedule, identify which agency would collect fees, or publish navigational rules for the designated route. Reports carrying the remarks said further details would be announced later. (en.mfa.gov.ir) ### Which ships did Iran say would be allowed through? Azizi said only commercial vessels and parties “cooperating with Iran” would benefit from the mechanism. He also said the designated route would remain closed to operators of the “freedom project,” language that reports linked to U.S., Israeli and allied efforts around Hormuz. (globalsecurity.org) Iranian officials had signaled that position earlier. The foreign ministry said on March 22 that vessels, equipment and capacities belonging to the United States, Israel and other participants in what Tehran called aggression against Iran did not qualify as normal, non-hostile passage. (globalsecurity.org) ### How does this fit with Iran’s earlier Hormuz policy? The foreign ministry said on March 22 that the strait was not closed and that maritime traffic had not been halted, but that navigation would continue subject to measures arising from a state of belligerency. (globalsecurity.org) Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi repeated on March 23 that the strait was not closed and said ships were hesitating because insurers feared war. On April 8, Araqchi said in a statement on behalf of the Supreme National Security Council that safe passage through the strait would be possible for two weeks via coordination with Iran’s armed forces and with technical limitations. (en.mfa.gov.ir) The May 16 remarks point to a more formal follow-on system after that temporary arrangement. That chronology is based on the sequence of Iranian statements. ### What is still missing from the plan? No official text available in the sources reviewed sets out the amount of the fees, the exact coordinates of the designated route, or the enforcement mechanism for ships that refuse to comply. (en.mfa.gov.ir) No public Iranian document in the material reviewed described how commercial insurers, flag states or neighboring Gulf states would participate in military coordination under the proposed system. The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most sensitive energy chokepoints. Al Jazeera described it this month as a passageway for about a quarter of global seaborne oil trade, underlining why changes to transit rules are closely watched by shippers, insurers and governments. (en.mfa.gov.ir) ### What happens next? Azizi said on May 16 that the mechanism would be unveiled soon, but he gave no date for publication of the route or fee structure. Iran’s next formal step, based on the statements now public, would be the release of those operating details by the authorities responsible for Hormuz passage and coordination with vessels. (globalsecurity.org) (aljazeera.com)