“Hormuz racket”: the Central Bank of Iran began to receive fees for crossing the strait

Deputy Chairman of the Iranian Parliament Hamidreza Babai said that funds paid for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz have already begun to arrive in the accounts of the Central Bank.

The politician did not go into detail about exactly how the money was transferred and who agreed to pay the amount, which is essentially a racketeering amount. It is unclear what amount is being discussed – previously there was information about two million dollars per vessel.

The Iranian side claims that ships belonging to states friendly to Iran can pass through the strait without hindrance. The American administration says that the blockade imposed by the United States does not apply to Hormuz, but to Iranian ports and coasts.

At the same time, on April 12, US President Donald Trump announced that he had given the US Navy an order to detain ships in international waters that had agreed to pay Iran the required amount. “No one who pays an illegal fee will be able to enjoy freedom of navigation,” he warned.