US Treasury warns shippers not to pay Hormuz tolls, even in form of charity

Any shipper paying tolls to Iran for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, including charitable donations to organizations such as the Iranian Red Crescent Society, is at risk of punitive sanctions, the U.S. Treasury warned on Friday.



The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically vital maritime routes, with about 20% of the world’s seaborne crude oil and liquefied natural gas flows passing through it.



Tehran has proposed fees or tolls on vessels passing through the Strait, as part of proposals to end the war with Israel and the United States.



The advisory, from Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, said the U.S. is aware of Iranian demands for payments to receive safe passage through the Strait.