Iran and Strait of Hormuz: A lone battle for control

In the negotiations that began on Saturday (April 11, 2026) in Pakistan, a key U.S. demand from Iran will be free passage—both unrestricted and cost-free—for merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Although Iran has often threatened to control the strait and use it as leverage, including during the Iran-Iraq war, this is the first time the issue has been formally raised at the international negotiating table.

Iran has floated the idea of levying tolls to fund post-war reconstruction. However, tolls are typically charged only in artificial waterways such as the Suez Canal and Panama Canal—not in natural maritime chokepoints. Naturally occurring straits such as Malacca, Bosphorus and Dardanelles, Bab-el-Mandab, the Baltic Strait, and Gibraltar have traditionally allowed free passage.