Reports suggest that Iran is imposing a $2 million fee on certain tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz, as part of an effort to tighten its grip on this critical shipping passage.

In a statement to the state-run Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) on Sunday, Iranian lawmaker Alaeddin Boroujerdi revealed that this hefty toll signifies a strategic shift in managing the waterway, according to Iran International.

“Charging $2 million from some vessels as they transit the strait is a demonstration of Iran’s authority,” Boroujerdi remarked during a television appearance, as reported by Iranian media.

As a member of parliament’s national security committee, he further explained that this policy has already been enforced and represents what he described as a new “sovereign regime” governing the strait, marking a significant change after many years, the outlet noted.

Reports indicate that Iran is imposing a $2 million charge on certain tankers for passage through the Strait of Hormuz. (Getty Images/Getty Images)

“Now, because war has costs, naturally we must do this and take transit fees from ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

Boroujerdi’s comments came after President Donald Trump warned Saturday that the United States could target Iran’s power infrastructure if the strait is not reopened within 48 hours.

President Donald Trump warned on Saturday that the U.S. could strike Iranian power plants if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened. (Getty Images)

“If Iran doesn’t FULLY OPEN, WITHOUT THREAT, the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 hours from this exact point in time, the United States of America will hit and obliterate their various POWER PLANTS, STARTING WITH THE BIGGEST ONE FIRST!” Trump said in a post shared on Truth Social.

The strait is “open to everyone” except Iran’s adversaries, Tehran’s permanent representative to the International Maritime Organization, Ali Mousavi, also told the Mehr News Agency on Sunday, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also set out Iran’s policy on X.

“The Strait of Hormuz is open to all except those who violate our soil,” he said.

According to Lloyds List, Iran has set up a de facto ‘safe’ shipping passage in the Strait of Hormuz and is offering vetted tankers passage in exchange for approval — and in “at least one case, a reported $2m payment,” it said.

Several governments, including China, India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Iraq are in talks with Tehran over ship transit, as Iran’s Revolutionary Guard sets up a new system to register “approved” vessels for safe passage, the outlet reported.

Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI has reported that Strait of Hormuz traffic was “near collapse.” (Stringer/File Photo/File Photo/Reuters)

Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI reported Sunday that Strait of Hormuz traffic was “near collapse”, with only “16 AIS-visible crossings recorded over the past seven days.”

Transit is controlled increasingly stringently, with vessels rerouting via Iran’s territorial waters, the firm said, noting that Gulf energy exports continue to decline, with crude and LPG flows at recent lows.

“Iranian exports remain active, supported by alternative routing and sustained on-water volumes,” Windward said.

The strait normally handles about 20 million barrels of oil per day and roughly 20% of global liquefied natural gas trade. The closure has driven up shipping and insurance costs, pushed oil prices higher, and raised global economic concerns.

Russian crude volumes remain elevated, reinforcing continued reliance on maritime energy transport, Windward said.

President Donald Trump has reportedly ordered the deployment of an additional 2,500 Marines and sailors to the Persian Gulf, as tensions with Iran continue into their fourth week. The conflict has led to increased scrutiny of Iran’s strategic moves, specifically its control over oil tanker traffic in the crucial Strait of Hormuz. Attention is now also focused on Iran’s Kharg Island, a pivotal point in the region.

Kharg Island, situated about 16 miles from the Iranian mainland, is far more than just a geographical detail in the Gulf. It serves as the central hub for approximately 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports. The island’s location in waters that reach depths of up to 100 feet makes it ideal for accommodating large tankers, which cannot access the shallow shores of the mainland.

Securing control of Kharg Island would deliver a significant blow to Iran’s oil industry, potentially pushing Tehran to lift restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz. This waterway is vital, as it normally facilitates the flow of about 20 percent of the world’s oil supply.

However, seizing Kharg Island is no small feat. The newly deployed Marine Expeditionary Units are well-trained for rapid deployment in crisis situations, excelling in operations such as raids, evacuations, and limited territorial seizures. Yet, landing on Kharg does not automatically ensure a sustainable hold over the island.

Marine Expeditionary Units, now being deployed to the region, are trained to be deployed swiftly in a crisis. The units are ideal for raids, evacuations and limited seizures. But just because US forces are capable of landing on Kharg does not guarantee they would be able to hold it. 

American ground forces on Kharg would be vulnerable to attack from the Iranian mainland from missiles or drones. Amphibious American forces would also have to be escorted by air support to ensure they’re not attacked on the way to the target.

What opposition would a US landing face? It would not necessarily be a dramatic beach massacre straight out of an old war film. But some 8,000 people live on Kharg, and it’s likely that some military units are still functioning there. 

US troops could certainly expect sabotage of key facilities, mortar and small arms attacks, but these would be manageable. The greater danger is a dirty, layered counterattack. 

US control of Kharg would cripple Iran’s oil industry, prompting Tehran, the US hopes, to reopen the Straits of Hormuz, through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil normally flows

The island lies in waters up to 100 feet deep, ideal for large tankers too massive to traverse the mainland’s shallow shoreline

US Marine Corps Chemical and Biological Immediate Response Force conducts a training exercise at Camp Lejeune in 2021

Iran entered the war with the Middle East’s largest ballistic missile stockpile — estimated 2,500 to 6,000 missiles-strong. Iran’s Fateh and Shahab short-range ballistic missiles have a range of 750km, and the newer Fattah-1 hypersonic missiles are designed to evade advanced air defense systems. 

That’s on top of a sizable drone arsenal and multiple underground facilities  — along with vast number of small boats and submarines capable of disrupting shipping across the Gulf.

There’s also the threat of a chemical weapons attack against US forces. Iran has deployed chemical weapons before — and might do so again if backed into a corner. Tehran’s battlefield chemical weapon capabilities, which they deployed during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq War, have been developed into a sophisticated arsenal.

Indeed, as of 2024, Israeli officials reported with ‘high confidence’ that Tehran has supplied weaponized pharmaceutical-based agents to proxies in Iraq and Syria.

Whilst all of these capabilities are now heavily degraded, the threat remains.

Ultimately, however, the nearby mainland coastline is the real threat. The region near Kharg is a mountainous hard-to-target network of potential bunkers and underground facilities, while coastal towns like Bushehr provide a multitude of short-range firing points. 

Would a blockade make more sense? In narrow military terms, probably yes. 

A blockade pressures Iran by exerting control over Kharg’s ports and the strait without leaving a Marine battalion exposed on a conspicuous target within Iranian range. 

Speaking with reporters last week, Trump called Kharg Island Iran’s ‘crown jewel,’ and said the US was ‘locked and loaded’ to destroy the oil hub – though, he added, ‘we chose not to do it’

US-led Combined Joint Task Force decontaminate themselves during a field training exercise at Kuwait’s Mubarak Airbase in 2003

Taking Kharg would require a Marine Expeditionary Unit — a self-sufficient force of about 2,200 Marines and sailors

Iran possesses thousands of drones and missiles, including these Shahab short-range ballistic missiles, which have a range of 500 miles

It is hardly clean or safe, but it is easier to envisage than a long-term occupation of an island under constant pressure from the mainland.

Regardless, there are no easy answers here – and almost certainly no swift journey home for US forces. 

Iran has warned that any attack on its oil and energy infrastructure would provoke retaliatory strikes against oil infrastructure and military partners in the region. The US can also expect increased pressure on shipping lanes, more retaliation by proxy groups and heightened global market anxiety. 

Capturing Kharg is not, in itself, an end to the war. It risks escalating the conflict with unpredictable consequences.

Yes, US Marines could likely secure the small island. But the real challenge is whether America could maintain control of it and easily resupply the force — all while mitigating Iranian retaliation from the mainland.

Andrew Fox is a Senior Fellow at the Henry Jackson Society and former British Army officer with service in the Parachute Regiment.