知情人士表示，伊朗伊斯兰革命卫队已经在向通过霍尔木兹海峡的船只收取费用，并对来自其认为友好的国家的船只给予优待。据说，船舶营运商会联络一名与IRGC有关的中间人，提供船东、船旗、货物清单、目的地、船员名单和AIS数据，之后文件会送交IRGC海军的霍尔木兹甘省司令部，检查是否与以色列、美国或伊朗视为敌人的其他国家有关联。对油轮而言，谈判的起始价格通常约为每桶石油1美元，以人民币或稳定币支付，而一艘超大型原油运输船通常可载运约200万桶。
伊朗国家安全委员会已批准一项将对霍尔木兹海峡征收费用的法案，伊朗也致函国际海事组织，表示与非敌对国家有关的船只可获安全通行，而被视为敌对的船只则受到限制。各国通常拥有从海岸线向外延伸12海里、约14英里或22公里的领海边界，并可在此检查船只，但法律专家表示，伊朗以征收通行费为由并不合法。穿越该海峡的船舶保险成本已飙升，多艘船只在锚地时遭到射弹击中，一艘科威特油轮3月31日在杜拜附近遭至少一架无人机击中，而美国总统Donald Trump表示，他希望在两到三周内结束美国与伊朗的战争，随后又说只有在海峡开放的情况下才可能达成停火。
Pakistan offered to let an oil tanker stuck in the Persian Gulf sail through the Strait of Hormuz under a Pakistani flag and with an Iranian Navy escort, but the company could not take up the offer. Iran agreed to allow 20 Pakistani vessels to transit through the strait, and Pakistan began reaching out to major commodity traders for ships, including oil supertankers capable of carrying 2 million barrels each. At least two large oil trading houses received the offer, and ship transits through the Strait of Hormuz increased slightly over the past week, although still only a fraction of pre-war levels.
People with knowledge of the situation said Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is already extracting tolls from vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz and giving preferential treatment to ships from countries it deems friendly. Ship operators are said to contact an intermediary linked to the IRGC and provide ownership, flag, cargo manifest, destination, crew list, and AIS data, after which the file goes to the IRGC Navy’s Hormozgan Provincial Command for checks for links to Israel, the US, or other states Iran considers enemies. For oil tankers, the starting price in the negotiations is typically around $1 per barrel of oil, paid in yuan or stablecoins, and a very large crude carrier typically has a capacity of around 2 million barrels.
Iran’s National Security Committee has approved a bill that would impose fees on the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran wrote to the International Maritime Organization that ships associated with non-hostile states can receive safe passage while those considered hostile are restricted. Countries typically have territorial boundaries extending 12 nautical miles, around 14 miles or 22 kilometers, from their coastlines, where they are allowed to inspect vessels, but legal experts said Iran’s tolling justification is not legal. Insurance costs have spiked for ships crossing the strait, several vessels have been hit by projectiles while at anchorage, a Kuwaiti oil tanker was struck by at least one drone near Dubai on March 31, and US President Donald Trump said he wants to end the US war with Iran within two or three weeks, while later saying a ceasefire would only be possible if the strait was opened.