Strait of Hormuz will not return to old status quo, Iran says
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 5
Strait of Hormuz will not return to old status quo, Iran says
9 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 5
Abbas Araghchi told Iranian MPs the shift followed the 28 February US-Israel attack, as Washington escorted two ships through the waterway.
The four-week Gulf ceasefire is fraying after failed US-Iran talks in Islamabad, with analysts warning that miscalculation could quickly trigger renewed full-scale hostilities.
Restricted Hormuz traffic is disrupting oil, gas, helium and fertiliser supplies worldwide, while Iran's pressure on the UAE, including Fujairah, deepens regional security and economic risks.
As US-Iran tensions peak, are new powers using the crisis to challenge the US dollar's global dominance?
With diplomacy dead and war looming, can the global economy withstand a sealed Strait of Hormuz?
Has Iran's nuclear program, now hidden from inspectors, already passed the point of no return?
The Strait of Hormuz Crisis: Iran’s Toll System, $7.3 Billion Revenue, and the New Maritime Order
Overview
In 2026, Iran seized control of the Strait of Hormuz and, following a US naval blockade, established a toll system that generates $20 million daily by charging vessels transiting this vital waterway. This move disrupted global energy markets, causing surging prices and forcing ships to reroute around Africa, which delayed supply chains and triggered crises like the Philippines' fuel emergency and African agricultural challenges. The tolls, paid mainly via cryptocurrency to bypass sanctions, sparked international legal condemnation and threats from the US to seize paying tankers. Despite mediation efforts, the ceasefire collapsed, raising the risk of renewed conflict and deepening the erosion of the global maritime order.