Iran has denied charging any tolls on Indian tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, its ambassador to India said on April 13, amid heightened tensions over shipping routes in the Gulf, British media reports.
“You can ask the Indian government if we have charged anything up to now,” Iran’s ambassador Mohammad Fathali told reporters in New Delhi.
“In this difficult time, we have good relations. We believe Iran and India share common interests and a common fate.”
The comments came after U.S. President Donald Trump warned that vessels making payments to Iran could face restrictions, as Washington steps up pressure over maritime flows through the strategic waterway.
India has repeatedly denied paying any fees to facilitate the passage of vessels carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) through the Strait of Hormuz, following disruptions to transit routes after Iran restricted movement in the area.
About half of India’s crude oil and LPG imports pass through the strait, one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints. New Delhi has said 15 India-flagged vessels remain stranded in the Persian Gulf amid the ongoing tensions.
By Aghakazim Guliyev
