Topline
The deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament on Thursday claimed the country’s central bank has received the first deposits from the tolls collected from ships that Tehran has allowed to navigate through the Strait of Hormuz, despite President Donald Trump warning that the U.S. Navy would seize vessels paying to cross the waterway.
A container ship is seen in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Qeshm Island, Iran.
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Key Facts
The deputy speaker of Iran’s parliament, Hamidreza Haji Babaei, told the semi-official Tasnim News Agency that the first tranche of tolls collected from ships passing the Strait of Hormuz have been deposited into the Iranian central bank’s account, according to a BBC translation.
The BBC cited another legislator who claimed he has also heard the same from “reliable sources” and added that the fees vary from ship to ship, depending on their type, size and cargo.
It’s unclear how these tolls were collected, but the Financial Times earlier reported that Iran was demanding the payments be made in cryptocurrencies.
This is a developing story.