A toll for using Hormuz would be a 'dangerous precedent', UN's ship agency says

LONDON: Imposing a toll on ships sailing through the critical Strait of Hormuz would "set a dangerous precedent" and countries should not impede freedom of navigation, ‌the UN's ⁠shipping ⁠agency said on Thursday.

Iranian officials ​have raised the idea of charging a ​toll for using the Strait after a two-week ceasefire between the United ​States and Tehran was ⁠agreed this ‌week.

Also Read: Iran deputy minister says ships need consent to pass Hormuz


"There is no ​international ​agreement where tolls can ⁠be introduced for transiting international straits. Any ​such toll will set a ​dangerous precedent," a spokesperson with the UN's International Maritime Organization said.

IMO countries adopted the UN Convention on the Law ‌of the Seas, or UNCLOS, which outlines the rules that ​govern straits used ​for ⁠international navigation.

"According to UNCLOS, ships enjoy the right of transit passage through international straits. States bordering straits shall not hamper that right or suspend the transit passage," the IMO spokesperson said.