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Does Iran charge India a toll for the Strait of Hormuz passage? Tehran's envoy answers
India is highly dependent on West Asia for its oil and gas, importing up to 90% of its supplies, most of which pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has said that Tehran has charged no toll on Indian oil and gas tankers that have transited through the Strait of Hormuz since such charges came into being after the US-Israeli attacks on the Islamic Republic in late February.
This comes after US President Donald Trump has been criticising Tehran for charging “a toll” and calling it “world extortion”. Trump has vowed to block passage for vessels making payments to Iran.
"You can ask the Indian government if we have charged anything up to now," Iran's Ambassador Mohammad Fathali told reporters at a briefing at the embassy of the Islamic Republic in New Delhi.
“In this difficult time, we have good relations. We believe Iran and India share common interests and a common fate,” he added.
About half of India’s crude oil and LPG supplies pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
What India said
After a temporary ceasefire was reached earlier last week, the Indian foreign ministry said there's been “absolutely no discussion” on the issue of toll between India and Iran.
“Yes, we have also seen some reports [about toll being levied]… We continue to call for free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. We made this point in our statement yesterday as well, and continue to do so now as well,” Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on Thursday at the inter-ministerial press briefing on the West Asia crisis.
The reports of Iran charging a toll came up before the truce, too, while India has been granted passage as a “friendly” country by Iran. But did India pay a toll too? New Delhi has categorically denied that any such payment is being made.
Jaiswal again said on April 9: “On the question of toll…there has been no discussion on this point between us and Iran. So that is where we are. As to what the scenario will be if a certain situation arises or happens in future, we’ll see when the time comes. But our point of view at this point in time is that we continue to call for free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz."
At least eight India-flagged LPG tankers have passed through the route, while the government has been rationing use, and rates on the grey market have spiked to up to 4 times the normal.
India is highly dependent on West Asia for its oil and gas, importing up to 90% of its supplies, most of which pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
