U.S. Lifts Sanctions on IRGC-Linked Entities as Shipping Industry Warns Hormuz Toll Fees Could Trigger Chain Reactions
Miles Bennett
The U.S. lifted counter-terrorism sanctions on three IRGC-linked airlines amid escalating negotiations over Strait of Hormuz transit fees; eight major global shipping associations warned that any precedent for mandatory tolls at an international strait could spread to every chokepoint, undermining the legal foundation of freedom of navigation.
What sanctions did the U.S. lift?
The U.S. Treasury website showed Wednesday that sanctions on two aircraft and three airlines linked to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have been removed.
This means → Washington is trading sanctions relief for leverage in Strait of Hormuz transit negotiations, linking the two issues directly.
Why is the shipping industry pushing back collectively?
Eight major global shipping associations jointly wrote to UN Secretary-General António Guterres and IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, demanding opposition to any mandatory transit fee at the Strait of Hormuz.
Signatories include the International Chamber of Shipping, BIMCO, and the World Shipping Council. The letter, dated August 3, was released publicly Wednesday.
The core warning: once a "service fee that is really a toll" is imposed at an international strait, other chokepoints will follow, creating lasting uncertainty for global trade.
In plain terms = if Hormuz can charge tolls, Malacca and Suez could copy the model — and shipping costs would stack up all the way to consumer prices.
What has Iran been doing at Hormuz?
Since U.S. and Israeli strikes against Iran in late February, Tehran has tightened its grip on the strait: demanding ships obtain Iranian government permits and threatening permanent transit fees or mandatory insurance.
Bloomberg reported that Iran has demanded up to $2 million in ad hoc fees for individual voyages.
This means → Iran is converting its geographic control of the strait into a revenue tool, turning military deterrence into economic leverage.
What deals are on the table?
Axios reported that the U.S., Iran, and Oman are close to a 60-day transit agreement with no tolls during that period — but what happens after day 60 remains unclear.
Trump briefly proposed a 20% fee on cargo ships using U.S. naval escorts in July, but dropped the plan under pressure from Gulf allies.
Oman has told the IMO it opposes mandatory fees, but is open to a voluntary arrangement under which ships contribute to navigation safety and environmental services.
What is the shipping industry's real fear?
The joint letter insists that as regional security talks advance, internationally recognized navigation rights must not be compromised or folded into broader political bargaining.
This reflects a deeper anxiety: not about any single fee, but about freedom of navigation being downgraded from a legal principle to a tradable negotiating chip.
Put simply = the industry's fear is not paying money — it is that paying becomes a legitimate, replicable rule.
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