Iran is quietly demanding up to $2 million per voyage from some commercial ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz — effectively turning the world’s most critical oil chokepoint into a high-stakes toll road, Bloomberg reports.

The ad hoc payments, confirmed by sources familiar with the situation, are being sought on a case-by-case basis, with some vessels already paying to ensure safe passage through the volatile waterway.

The exact mechanism remains murky, including how payments are made and in what currency, underscoring the opaque and rapidly evolving nature of the scheme.

The move highlights Tehran’s growing leverage over the narrow strait, through which roughly 20% of the world’s oil and gas supply flows daily.

With conflict in the region now stretching into its fourth week, the added financial pressure is compounding already severe disruptions to global shipping.

Traffic through Hormuz has slowed to a trickle, with many vessels avoiding the route altogether or hugging Iran’s coastline — effectively navigating on Tehran’s terms.

For those that do pass through, the threat of delays, interference, or worse appears to be driving some operators to pay up.

The development is drawing sharp pushback from global powers.

India, which recently moved several vessels carrying liquefied petroleum gas through the strait, warned that international law guarantees freedom of navigation and prohibits such fees.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed that keeping the waterway “open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world.”

Energy producers in the Gulf are also alarmed.

Even informal tolls raise concerns about sovereignty and the potential weaponization of a vital trade artery. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are increasingly relying on alternative pipeline routes to bypass Hormuz, though those options are limited.

Iran has not publicly confirmed the payments but has floated the idea of formalizing transit fees as part of a broader postwar framework — raising fears that what began as a temporary wartime tactic could become a lasting cost for global trade and energy markets.