UN shipping agency warns human casualties in Strait of Hormuz would set ‘dangerous precedent’

On Thursday, the United Nations shipping agency warned of imposing fees on ships passing through the sea Strait of Hormuz It would “set a dangerous precedent.”

This statement comes after the President Donald Trump It was suggested on Wednesday that there may be an upcoming US-Iranian toll system for ships traveling through the key waterway. “We’re thinking about doing this as a joint project,” Trump told ABC News, and “it’s a way to secure it — and secure it from a lot of other people as well.”

A spokesman for the United Nations International Maritime Organization said: “There is no international agreement through which fees can be imposed for crossing international straits. Any such fees would set a dangerous precedent.” He told Reuters Thursday.

The Strait of Hormuz, which lies between Iran, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, is one of the world’s most important energy choke points, transporting nearly 20 million barrels of oil per day along with about a fifth of the world’s liquefied natural gas.

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A ship passes through the Strait of Hormuz during a two-week temporary ceasefire between the United States and Iran on April 8, 2026. (Shadi Al-Assar/Anadolu/Getty Images)

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis also warned on Wednesday that Iran’s announced plan to direct ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz would be “completely unacceptable.”

“I don’t think the international community will be ready to accept Iran setting up a toll booth for every ship that passes through the strait,” Mitsotakis, who represents the world’s leading shipping power, told CNN.

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The satellite image shows the Strait of Hormuz, a major sea lane connecting the Arabian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, which is vital to global energy supplies. (Amanda Macias/Fox News Digital)

He continued: “I repeat that this agreement cannot include some kind of fees that ships must pay every time they cross the strait.” “This was not the case before the war started, and it cannot be the case after the war ends.”

The Trump administration had reached Ceasefire agreement with Iran Tuesday.

The tanker Callisto is anchored with reduced traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 10, 2026. (Benoit Tessier/Reuters)

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“The United States of America will help boost traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. There will be a lot of positive action! Big money will be made. Iran can begin the reconstruction process,” Trump wrote on Truth Social on Wednesday morning. “We’ll be loading supplies of all kinds, and we’ll be walking around making sure everything is going well. I’m sure it will.”

Amanda Macias and Alexandra Koch of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.