MOSCOW, April 24 (Xinhua) -- Iran has granted exemptions to some countries, including Russia, in transit fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali has said, quoted by RIA Novosti.
"We've currently provided exceptions for some countries, but I don't know what will happen in the future. However, our foreign ministry is currently trying to implement the exceptions envisioned for friendly countries, such as Russia," the ambassador said.
Iran has announced plans to charge fees on passage through the Strait of Hormuz following U.S.-Israeli attacks against the country, citing costs associated with ensuring the security of the key waterway. It said it has closed the strait and will reopen it once the U.S. naval blockade is fully lifted.
First Deputy Speaker of the Iranian parliament Hamid Reza Haji Babaei said Thursday that Iran has received fees for transit through the strait for the first time, with funds transferred to the country's central bank.
The strait, a narrow chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, is the only maritime outlet to the open ocean, with about 20 million barrels of oil passing through it daily before the war -- about a fifth of global consumption. ■
