Iran Lawmakers Want to Tax Ships in Hormuz, Shargh Says

Several Iranian lawmakers plan to propose a bill to impose tariffs on ships sailing through the Strait of Hormuz, Shargh reported, citing Alireza Khosravi, a member of the nation’s parliament.

Ships of certain countries transit the waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf “under pretexts such as security,” Khosravi said. Nations whose oil tankers and other vessels exit or enter the Gulf must compensate for the environmental damage they cause there, he said, according to the Tehran-based newspaper. Khosravi didn’t identify specific countries or provide details of the draft bill, Shargh reported today.

Another parliamentarian, Mehdi Mousavinejad, said lawmakers may ask the legislative body to consider a proposal to restrict ship traffic in Hormuz, according to the state-run Fars news agency. They will review the measure when the parliament reconvenes after a summer break, Fars reported today. Lawmakers are scheduled to return to work on July 22, according to the parliament’s news service.

The Strait of Hormuz between Iran and Oman is a transit point for about 20 percent of the world’s traded oil and 33 percent of the supply of liquefied natural gas. Some Iranian officials have threatened to disrupt shipping there in response to stricter economic sanctions imposed by the U.S. and European Union. Iran’s Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, has said the country will do all it can to ensure the safe shipment of crude from the Gulf.

To contact the reporter on this story: Yeganeh Salehi in Tehran via Dubai at

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Andrew J. Barden at barden@bloomberg.net.