Iran on Wednesday justified plans to charge ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz by citing environmental damage caused by maritime traffic in the strategic waterway.
Decades of pollution in The Gulf and Gulf of Oman had caused trillions of dollars in damage in Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on X.
Countries and companies benefiting from shipping through the strait had a legal and moral obligation to help address the environmental damage, he said, adding that environmental protection should be central to any future management of the waterway.
He gave no explanation of what environmental measures Iran was proposing.
Baghaei cited a recent oil spill along the coast of Iran's Qeshm island in the strait, saying initial findings indicated that a foreign cargo ship was responsible.
The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, effectively blocked by Iran, has become a key issue in the conflict between Tehran and Washington. Iran says it wants to impose a transit fee in coordination with Oman, the strait's other coastal state. The United States has strongly rejected the idea.
US President Donald Trump recently warned Iran it would face severe consequences if the strait, a vital route for global trade in oil, liquefied natural gas and fertilizer, was not reopened soon. Before the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran in late February, shipping through the strait had been largely uninterrupted.
Environmental groups have warned that the conflict has increased the risk of ships being damaged or hit. On Wednesday, it emerged that oil from a tanker that ran aground off Oman and is linked to Russia's so-called shadow fleet had reached the Omani mainland.
Greenpeace says the Strait of Hormuz and the surrounding waters contain sensitive ecosystems including coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass meadows. An oil spill could also threaten the water supply of millions of people, as many Gulf states rely heavily on desalination plants.
