Japan’s Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) said on Friday three of its vessels that transited the Strait of Hormuz and exited the Gulf in April did not pay transit fees, sticking to a principle of navigation under international law.
Tehran has proposed fees or tolls on vessels passing through the Strait, in its proposals to end the war with Israel and the United States.
The Strait is one of the world’s most strategically vital maritime routes, with about a fifth of global seaborne crude oil and LNG flows passing through it in normal times.
The company does not intend to pay such fees in future, a company spokesperson told Reuters.
“This is a principle of navigation based on international law, and we are adhering to it,” MOL President Jotaro Tamura told Reuters in an April interview, when queried if the company would pay such transit fees.
Asked how the vessels were able to pass through the Strait, MOL, which still has several ships remaining in the Gulf, credited the efforts of relevant countries and stakeholders.
“We will continue to prioritize the safety of our crew, vessels and cargo above all else,” the spokesperson added on Friday.
Among MOL-linked tankers, a Panama-flagged liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier, jointly owned with an Omani firm, transited the Strait of Hormuz in April, the first such passage since the Iran crisis escalated.
Two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers owned by an affiliated company have also crossed since.
Any shipper paying tolls to Iran for passage through the Strait of Hormuz is at risk of punitive sanctions, the U.S. Treasury warned this month.
The ship believed it had permission to cross as part of a deal to get Indian ships out, its owner told Bloomberg, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive information. The vessel was communicating with Indian officials via a WhatsApp group and over email. As the ship neared Iran, it picked up a recorded message saying that the strait was blocked, but its Indian contacts said it was clear to pass. Then, as it got within around 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) of the Iranian coast, it was hailed by the Iranian navy and told to turn around.
Araghchi’s statement, coupled with announcements by US President Donald Trump that the vital maritime chokepoint was open, kicked off a chaotic 24 hours as operators tested the openness of the strait, according to ship owners, agents and security consultants, who spoke to Bloomberg on condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive issues.
While a small number of vessels did make it through the waterway on Saturday, most others turned around and abandoned their attempts. By Sunday, observed transits had ground to a halt, and the US Navy fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel, the first since their blockade began — slamming shut the brief window of opportunity.
At least 135 million barrels of crude and refined products are held on tankers stuck in the Persian Gulf, according to ship tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.