Iran's new plan for the most important oil route: Make every ship pay to pass

- Iran is reportedly considering imposing a toll on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman through which roughly 20-25% of the world's oil supply transits daily. - The Strait is already a frequent flashpoint: Iran has threatened to block it in past disputes over its nuclear program, and has seized or harassed commercial tankers in recent years. - The "new plan" described in the article would shift from threatening outright closure to extracting a fee for passage — which the U.S. considers a "red line" because it would effectively give Iran control over a global chokepoint and violate international maritime law guaranteeing "transit passage." - Key context: Iran is under heavy U.S. and Western economic sanctions, particularly on its oil exports. A toll scheme could be an attempt to leverage its geographic position to pressure the West or bypass sanctions, while risking direct military confrontation.