Iran’s parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee approved Article 3 of the Strategic Action Plan to Ensure the Security and Development of the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, August 24, committee spokesman Hassan Kashkavi said, according to Mehr News Agency. The provision would charge vessels from countries authorized to transit the Strait for maritime, environmental, emergency fuel, insurance, security and other services, payable in Iranian rials or another currency designated by Iran. It follows a March 31 committee-approved bill reportedly seeking formal fees of up to $2 million per commercial vessel, which still requires full parliamentary approval. Authorities have reportedly collected ad hoc payments since early March, describing them as service fees rather than tolls and receiving payments in Chinese yuan. Traffic fell approximately 95% after the conflict began on February 28, 2026, although 40 tankers crossed on a later Friday night. Five commercial vessels were hit by Iranian projectiles over the preceding week, and the August 17-18 strike on the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Minoan Dignity killed one crew member. Iran also created the Persian Gulf Strait Authority in May, introduced a 60-day fee waiver in June that expired around mid-August, and reviewed proposals to bar vessels linked to the US, Israel and other adversaries and charge 5%-7% of cargo value. The measures threaten higher oil, shipping, insurance, delivery and consumer costs, while prediction markets indicate limited confidence in restored normal traffic or a near-term U.S.-Iran agreement.