Iran has unveiled a set of guidelines it claims will govern its management of the strategic waterway, despite the fact that the US has yet to officially endorse the terms ahead of a scheduled meeting in Islamabad on Saturday.
According to experts, Tehran’s continued dominance over the strait is unlikely to be well-received by Washington and other nations.
During the recent crisis, only a limited number of vessels from countries deemed friendly to Iran and those that have paid a toll have been granted safe passage. It is believed that at least two tolls were paid in Chinese yuan, a move that appears to be a deliberate attempt to undermine the US dollar and circumvent US sanctions. China, which accounts for 80 percent of Iran’s oil exports, has already been paying Tehran in yuan.