Passage through the Strait of Hormuz has become unbearable for the world due to Iranian tolls

Iran's collection of fees for passing through the Strait of Hormuz has become unbearable for the world, with voices rising from the US to the United Nations.
According to information, Iran has started collecting fees on the Strait of Hormuz, practically establishing its control, although the rate and legal status are still internationally disputed.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in an interview with Fox News that Iran's attempt to impose fees on the Strait of Hormuz is unacceptable. He stated that they will not tolerate the attempt to hold international maritime routes hostage, and Iran's claim that the Strait of Hormuz is open is not based on reality. Obtaining permission from or paying Iran is not the same as the Strait of Hormuz being open.
Marco Rubio said that using the maritime route in exchange for Iran's permission and payment cannot become the norm, and Iran cannot decide who uses the international route and who does not.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the rights and freedoms of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz should be respected, and appealed to the parties to keep the Strait of Hormuz open and allow ships to pass, without any toll or discrimination, and to resume trade. The UN Secretary-General appealed to let the global economy breathe, and a safe and unobstructed route is an economic and humanitarian necessity.
The US representative to the Security Council responded by saying that Iran's ship passage fee is equivalent to a bribe, and the Strait of Hormuz does not belong to Iran, which has launched thousands of missiles and drones at Gulf states and bombed its Gulf neighbors.
The US representative said that Iran does not have the right to use the Strait of Hormuz as a bargaining chip, and Iran should not be allowed to take adventurous actions in the Strait.
Meanwhile, according to Al Jazeera, a senior Iranian official said that under the proposed national law related to the management of this waterway, the responsibility of the Strait of Hormuz will now be entrusted to the country's armed forces.
On the other hand, Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya said that Iran has the full right to restrict and control traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Nebenzya also criticized European countries that support Ukrainian attacks on Russian merchant ships in the Black Sea, comparing Western countries to hypocrites and pirates.
The ambassador said that during a war, if a coastal state is being attacked, it can restrict navigation in its territorial waters for security reasons.
Unlike pirates who wave a black flag with a skull and crossbones on their ships, Western countries are trying to hide their illegal actions by referring to them as unilateral coercive measures.
Estimate based on per barrel: According to various reports, there is a proposal to collect one US dollar per barrel of oil from oil tankers. Based on this calculation, up to $2 million can be collected from a large tanker (VLCC).
According to Iranian media, this fee can generate up to $100 billion in revenue for Iran per year, which is 20-25% of the country's GDP.
It is worth noting that Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister said in early April 2026 that the fee rate had not been finalized and work was ongoing. However, at the end of the same month, Iran announced that it had received the first installment. Iran has opened accounts in Iranian rials, Chinese yuan, US dollars, and euros to collect this fee. However, due to US sanctions, payment is primarily directed to be made in Iranian rials, yuan, or cryptocurrency.