Iran is tightening its control over the Strait of Hormuz despite the declared ceasefire, The Wall Street Journal reports. According to the newspaper, Tehran informed mediators that it intends to reduce vessel traffic to roughly a dozen ships a day and impose transit fees under the ceasefire arrangement reached with Donald Trump.
Arab mediators said that all vessels must coordinate their passage with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, only four ships were granted clearance on Wednesday—the lowest figure since the start of April.
Mediators and shipping brokers say Iran is requiring vessels to agree payment terms in advance and then transfer the fees in cryptocurrency or Chinese yuan.
The United States continues to insist publicly on freedom of navigation through the strait. Yet, the newspaper notes, Tehran is showing no sign of loosening its grip. The Journal also underlines that its own editorial stance is close to that of American hawks opposed to any deal with Iran.
As the WSJ reports, a warning was transmitted over radio communications in the strait in the morning: vessels that had not received authorization from the naval forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps “risk being destroyed.”