World 6/18/2026
Iran to charge ships for Strait of Hormuz transit, says Ghalibaf: 'US made it a reality for us'
Iran's Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has declared that Tehran will impose charges on ships transiting the crucial Strait of Hormuz after a 60-day grace period, asserting sovereign rights over the vital global choke point. This defiant stance comes just days before the formal ratification of the 'Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding' between Iran and the United States in Geneva, an agreement intended to reopen the strait and de-escalate months of conflict that severely disrupted global energy flows. Ghalibaf's remarks underscore deep Iranian skepticism towards Washington, despite the nascent diplomatic progress, and signal a direct challenge to international maritime norms.
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