Iranian lawmakers propose tolls on shipping through Strait of Hormuz

Iranian lawmakers have proposed a plan to impose tolls and taxes on ships passing through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, local media reported on Thursday.Officials have said shipping conditions through the waterway will not return to those from before the Middle East war began with US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.“We in parliament are pursuing a plan under which countries will pay tolls and taxes to the Islamic republic if the Strait of Hormuz is used as a secure route for transit, energy and food security,” Tehran lawmaker Somayeh Rafiei was quoted as saying by the ISNA news agency.“The security of the strait will be established with strength, authority and grandeur by the Islamic Republic of Iran, and countries must pay a tax in return,” she said.Traffic through the vital strait has been brought to a near-standstill since the start of the war.Iranian forces have attacked multiple vessels,