British officials openly reject proposed toll system for Strait of Hormuz

British officials on Thursday rejected the idea of Iran setting up a toll system for the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that commercial ships should be able to traverse the waterway freely and safely under international law.

British Defense Secretary John Healey told reporters that the United Kingdom and its allies want to see the strait reopened soon and that the creation of a toll system, under which commercial vessels would pay a high price to safely travel through the waterway, would set a dangerous precedent.

His comments come after President Trump implied that the U.S. could enter a “joint venture” with Iran to set up a toll system, which would theoretically generate revenue for Washington and Tehran.

British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper also rejected the idea of a toll system Thursday in a statement. The creation of such a system would undermine the “fundamental principles of the law of the sea,” she said.

Iran has kept the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed since early March, though Tehran has agreed to reopen it as part of the two-week ceasefire announced on Tuesday.

However, according to data from global ship-tracking firm Kpler, commercial traffic in the strait stayed low on Wednesday, signaling that shipping companies are not convinced of the ceasefire’s sturdiness.

Oil prices have remained high throughout the crisis surrounding the strait, though they fell dramatically after the ceasefire was announced. Crude oil sat at around $90 a barrel on Thursday morning, down from Monday’s high of $112 but up from Tuesday’s low of $84.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.