hormuz

According to CCTV News, the chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Civil Affairs Committee stated that under the Parliament's plan for managing the Strait of Hormuz, all traffic in the Strait of Hormuz must obtain permission from Iran, and any goods belonging to Israel are not allowed to pass under any circumstances. Hostile countries engaged in conflict with Iran are not permitted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz until compensation for damages is made.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has noted Iran's threats to shipping and its demands for "tolls" to ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. These demands may include various payment methods, such as fiat currency, digital assets, offset arrangements, informal swaps, or other physical forms of payment, such as nominal charitable donations to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, the Bonyad Mostazafan Foundation, or accounts of Iranian embassies.OFAC issued this warning to remind U.S. and non-U.S. entities that making payments to the Iranian regime or seeking passage guarantees carries sanctions risks, regardless of the payment method. Under U.S. sanctions regulations, U.S. entities and their foreign entities that are owned or controlled are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with the Iranian government, including providing or receiving services, unless exempted or authorized. Additionally, U.S. entities are also prohibited from engaging in transactions with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which is listed on multiple sanctions lists and designated as a foreign terrorist organization.U.S. entities are also generally prohibited from trading with Iranian digital asset trading platforms, which are considered sanctioned Iranian financial institutions. Furthermore, non-U.S. entities that engage in unauthorized transactions with the Iranian government or IRGC may also face sanctions risks, including "secondary sanctions" on relevant financial institutions, restricting their access to the U.S. financial system. Conducting business with sanctioned Iranian digital asset trading platforms may also be viewed as supporting Iran's sanctioned financial system and could lead to sanctions. If relevant transactions result in U.S. entities (such as insurance companies, reinsurance firms, or financial institutions) violating sanctions regulations, non-U.S. entities may also face civil or criminal liability.

According to Jinshi reports, Federal Reserve official Kashkari disagreed at the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, believing that the uncertainty in the Strait of Hormuz means the Federal Reserve should acknowledge the risks of interest rate hikes in its statement.

According to Solid Intel, Trump will hold a National Security Council meeting today to review proposals to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end hostilities.

According to Jinshi reports, U.S. President Trump spoke on the phone with British Prime Minister Starmer to discuss the current situation in the Middle East and emphasized the "urgent need to restore shipping in the Strait of Hormuz."The British side stated that the ongoing blockade for several weeks has left many crew members stranded in the Gulf region. Starmer warned that this would have "serious consequences" for the global economy and the cost of living for the British people. On the same day, Iran warned that the waterway "will not return to its previous state under any circumstances."

According to a report by Jinshi, citing the Iranian Mehr News Agency on the 25th, Iranian Islamic Parliament member Behnam Saidi stated that Iran has developed a comprehensive plan for managing the Strait of Hormuz.In an interview with Mehr News Agency, Saidi said that an important aspect of this plan is the exclusive recognition of the name "Persian Gulf" in all letters and commercial documents, rejecting any other names. Vessels and ships navigating in the region must obtain permission from Iran.Sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz will be entirely in the hands of Iran. He also stated that vessels identified as hostile by the Supreme National Security Council or the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Iran are not allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, and Israeli vessels are absolutely prohibited from entering the area. Ships passing through the region must pay relevant fees for safety, environmental protection, shipping management, and permit issuance, with priority given to payment in rials.

According to Iranian media Fars News: Reports about Iran collecting tolls for the Strait of Hormuz in cryptocurrency are inaccurate.

U.S. President Trump stated: (Regarding negotiations with Iran) I believe we will ultimately reach a great agreement. Iran has no choice but to send people to the negotiations. We are in a very favorable position in our negotiations with Iran. (Talking about Iran) This is regime change. Our negotiations with them have been very successful. The U.S. completely controls the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade has been a tremendous success. (Regarding a ceasefire with Iran) We don't have that much time. We don't want to extend the ceasefire again. Iran can improve its situation by reaching an agreement. Iran has just been allowed to go to Pakistan for talks. Iran can make itself a legitimate country. Iran seems to be "bloodthirsty." Iran must be rational and use common sense. Strikes on infrastructure could cause military damage to Iran. Iran is trying to move its missiles. We have much more equipment now than we did a few weeks ago. Our posture is ready to bomb Iran, and we are prepared.

According to Reuters, the Greek maritime risk management company MARISKS warned that some shipping companies stranded west of the Strait of Hormuz received messages impersonating Iranian authorities, demanding payment of a "toll fee" in Bitcoin or Tether (USDT). This information is a scam and not officially released by Iran.MARISKS stated that the scam messages claimed that documents must be submitted and evaluated by the "Iranian security department" before determining the cryptocurrency fees. Currently, approximately hundreds of vessels and about 20,000 seafarers are stranded in the Gulf. During a brief opening of the strait on April 18, at least two vessels (including one tanker) were forced to turn back after being fired upon by Iranian ships.

According to market news, the probability of Polymarket "the Strait of Hormuz returning to normal before May 31" has risen to 68%, up 9% in 24 hours. The event contract rules are as follows: if the International Monetary Fund Portwatch (IMF Portwatch) publishes the number of vessels arriving at the port in the Strait of Hormuz with a 7-day moving average ("vessels arriving") equal to or greater than 60 on any date during the period from market creation to May 31, 2026, then the market will be determined as "yes"; otherwise, it will be determined as "no".The daily number of vessels arriving at the port includes container ships, bulk carriers, roll-on/roll-off ships, general cargo ships, and tankers. Vessels not reported by the IMF Portwatch will not be considered. It is reported that U.S. Vice President Pence will travel to Pakistan for talks with Iran on Tuesday. U.S. President Trump stated in a recent phone interview that Iran "will negotiate" and expressed confidence in the potential talks to be held in Pakistan.Trump stated that they will negotiate, and if not, they will face unprecedented problems. He also expressed hope that both sides can reach a "fair agreement" and emphasized that Iran will not have nuclear weapons. He further justified military action against Iran by stating there was no choice and claimed that they would ultimately complete the finishing work.

According to Jinshi citing CCTV news reports, sources from the United States indicate that based on ship tracking data, as of the afternoon of the 19th British time, no vessel passage records were observed in the Strait of Hormuz on that day.It is reported that on the 18th, at least 13 oil tankers changed course and turned back while attempting to leave the Persian Gulf, abandoning their plans to continue through the strait.

According to Cointelegraph, Iran has designated Bitcoin for paying the oil transit fees in the Strait of Hormuz, but insiders say that most of the funds are still settled through stablecoins.Hamid Hosseini, spokesperson for the Iranian Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters Union, stated that each tanker must report its cargo information to Iranian authorities via email, after which Iran will inform the amount of the fee to be paid, which must be paid in cryptocurrency. "Once the email arrives and Iran completes the assessment, the vessel will be given a few seconds to pay in Bitcoin, ensuring that it cannot be tracked or confiscated due to sanctions."

According to news from the UK, shipping in the Strait of Hormuz was once again brought to a standstill on the evening of the 18th.Previously, radio communications warned that the Iranian armed forces had resumed "strict management and control" over the strait. Multiple vessels in the relevant waters heard the warnings, which have been confirmed.On the same day, the UK maritime safety company, Pioneer Technologies, released a report detailing that three vessels were attacked in the waters near the Strait of Hormuz, involving one oil tanker, one cruise ship, and one container ship. Two of the vessels were explicitly warned and fired upon by the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard, while another container ship was hit by an unidentified projectile 25 nautical miles northeast of Oman, causing damage to some containers.

Shipping sources say that merchant ships received a radio message from the Iranian Navy that the Strait of Hormuz is closed again, prohibiting any vessels from passing.

U.S. President Trump stated that negotiations regarding the war with Iran will continue over the weekend. When asked whether Iran would impose restrictions or charge tolls on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said, "Absolutely not," "There will be no tolls."

Against the backdrop of easing tensions in the Middle East, Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz is "fully open" during the ceasefire, leading to a rise in global risk assets. Boosted by the news, Bitcoin briefly surpassed $77,000, reaching a nearly two-month high, with an increase of about 5% in the past 24 hours. Major altcoins also rose, with Ethereum, XRP, and Solana recording gains of around 6%.Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi stated that all commercial vessels can pass through the strait during the ceasefire with Lebanon, but must adhere to the "coordinated shipping lanes" set by Iran. The strait accounts for about 20% of global oil transportation and is a critical energy corridor. In traditional markets, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both reached historic highs, indicating a significant rebound in risk appetite. U.S. President Trump also posted on social media that "the Strait of Hormuz has reopened for commercial activities," but emphasized that Iranian vessels may still face blockade measures until the U.S.-Iran agreement is fully implemented.

According to Gate market data, after Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz is now "completely open" to commercial shipping, the dollar erased all gains since the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war, with the dollar index DXY falling 0.5% intraday to its lowest level since February 27. As investors focus on the ceasefire and negotiations for a broader agreement, the index has declined consecutively. Jayati Baladwaj, head of foreign exchange strategy at TD Securities, stated, "Safe-haven buying has begun to fade. That is the reason for the dollar's decline."

According to Gate market data, at the opening of the US stock market, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 1.07%, the S&P 500 rose by 0.66%, and the Nasdaq Composite rose by 0.87%. Most oil and gas-related stocks fell, with BP down 6.3%, ExxonMobil down 5.07%, and Chevron down 3.7%. Previously, the Iranian Foreign Minister announced that the Strait of Hormuz would be opened during the remaining time of the ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel.