Iran is seeking international recognition of its authority over the Strait of Hormuz, including the right to regulate shipping routes and impose transit fees once a temporary ceasefire arrangement expires, according to two senior Iranian officials familiar with ongoing negotiations.
The officials said Tehran considers control of the strategic waterway a non-negotiable issue and will not broaden peace talks with the United States until its position on the Strait is formally acknowledged.
The Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest maritime chokepoints, carries roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies alongside large volumes of other international trade.
Under the interim memorandum of understanding reached with Washington in June to halt nearly three months of fighting, Iran agreed to suspend charges on vessels passing through the Strait for 60 days.
However, the Iranian officials said Tehran believes the agreement still allows it to determine which vessels may transit the waterway and the routes they must follow during the temporary arrangement.
If no extension or permanent agreement is reached before the ceasefire expires in mid-August, Iran intends to begin charging ships for passage, although officials have yet to announce how the fees would be calculated or collected.
One of the sources said Iran has no intention of returning to the pre-war status quo, arguing that any long-term settlement must give Tehran the authority to regulate traffic through the Strait, reject vessels it considers security threats and collect fees for mandatory navigation services.
The official added that Iran is prepared to enforce those demands if negotiations fail, even at the risk of renewed confrontation with the United States.
A second Iranian official described the current negotiations as a rare strategic opportunity, saying Tehran believes it emerged from the recent conflict in a stronger position and intends to translate that into lasting influence over one of the world’s most critical shipping corridors.
According to the source, Iranian leaders expect major maritime nations and energy-importing countries to eventually accept the new arrangements to avoid prolonged disruption to global trade and oil supplies.
The dispute has already heightened tensions in the Gulf.
Over the weekend, Iranian forces reportedly fired at four commercial vessels attempting to transit the Strait through waters on the Omani side without prior Iranian approval, triggering a brief exchange involving U.S. forces.
Iran has since announced plans to hold discussions with Oman to establish future navigation routes through the narrow waterway, which lies between the territorial waters of both countries.
Washington has rejected Tehran’s interpretation of the interim agreement.
President Donald Trump said last week that ships would continue to pass through the Strait without paying tolls, unless the United States itself decided otherwise.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also insisted no country has the right to block international shipping or impose fees on vessels using a recognised international waterway.
Legal experts note that although neither Iran nor the United States is a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Strait of Hormuz is widely regarded under customary international law as an international strait where vessels enjoy the right of transit passage.
Maritime specialists warn that any attempt by Iran to permanently regulate access or introduce mandatory transit charges would likely face significant international opposition and could reignite tensions in one of the world’s most strategically important waterways.
Professor Ali Ansari of the University of St Andrews said the risk of renewed conflict remains high because neither Washington nor Tehran believes it emerged from the recent war as the defeated side.
Maritime law expert Chris O’Flaherty, a former British naval officer, said Iran’s latest position represents a direct challenge to the long-established legal framework governing navigation through the Strait, making the issue as much political as it is legal.
