Iran published new procedures for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, requiring passage requests at least 48 hours in advance and waiving fees for 60 days, according to a statement linked to Iranian state outlets. Separately, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai denied reports that the strait has been closed, saying there is no basis to such claims.
The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman denied strait closure reports on Friday afternoon, even as Tehran formally expanded its transit control regime with a published 60-day fee waiver and a demand for 48-hour pre-clearance. The denial, by Esmail Baqai, came hours after the latest batch of regulations appeared via state-linked channels — the fourth distinct set of procedures the desk has tracked in as many hours. Baqai's statement, saying 'there is no basis' to closure claims, is the first on-record Iranian refutation since the crisis intensified.
As The Zioneer reported, the thread began with Iran's Supreme National Security Council publishing initial regulations late Thursday (21:53 Jerusalem), requiring prior clearance via a new 'Persian Strait Authority' and waiving fees for 60 days. That same Thursday set included an Iranian threat to attack any vessel attempting to cross (reported Fri 14:10 Jerusalem), and a warning from the Hormuz Authority to use only official channels (reported Fri 14:13 Jerusalem). The first 48-hour pre-clearance requirement was reported at Fri 14:02 Jerusalem. All nine thread items carry the same published_at of Thu 18 Jun 21:53, indicating a coordinated pre-dawn announcement cycle rather than a staggered release. The HFI Institute assessment (thread v.7) projected the IRGC would limit daily passages to 30–40 ships.
Baqai's denial is the first public Iranian diplomatic statement on the closure question since the thread opened. It follows days of escalating Iranian maritime declarations, including a prior claim by the same spokesman on 15 June that vessels would pay 'navigation, insurance, and environmental' fees — effectively maintaining a payment regime under a different label, as The Zioneer reported at Mon 15 Jun 16:33 Jerusalem.
It remains unclear whether the new procedures will be enforced by the IRGC navy, and whether the 48-hour clearance window is operationally feasible for the thousands of vessels that transit the strait daily. The Iranian denial of closure does not address whether vessels that have not submitted pre-clearance requests will be allowed to pass.
12 developments
- StrongIranian chief of staff claims full control of Strait of Hormuz, threatens shipping
- StrongIranian source threatens to attack any vessel crossing the Strait of Hormuz
- DevelopingIRGC Navy commander threatens to attack hostile warships in Strait of Hormuz
- DevelopingIran Begins Charging Ships for Strait of Hormuz Transit — Up to $2 Million Per Vessel
Source and signal
- Internal intake