Iran plans to charge tankers Bitcoin for passage through the Strait of Hormuz., 2026/04/08 17:46:22

Iran intends to impose a fee of $1 for each barrel of oil transported through the Hormuz Strait during a newly established two-week ceasefire with the United States. Payments will be made in Bitcoin, as reported by the Financial Times, citing Hamid Hosseini, a representative of the Iranian Oil and Gas Exporters Union.

According to Hosseini, Iran aims to oversee all goods passing through the strait under the threat of military action. He emphasized that Iran requires assurances that the two-week ceasefire will not be exploited for the transportation of weapons, as explained by the exporters’ representative.

Hosseini stated that each tanker must send an email to the authorities of the Islamic Republic with cargo details, after which the government will inform them of the applicable duty to be paid in the cryptocurrency.

“Anything can pass through the strait, but the procedure for each vessel will take time, and Iran is not in a hurry. Once the email is received and Iran completes its assessment, vessels will be given a few seconds to make the payment in Bitcoin, ensuring that transactions cannot be tracked or seized due to sanctions,” Hosseini remarked.

Vessels without cargo will be allowed to transit the Hormuz Strait without payment, but those attempting to pass without authorization will face destruction, warned the Iranian representative.

The U.S. and Iran have agreed to a two-week ceasefire, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stating that the Hormuz Strait will be open for navigation during this period. U.S. President Donald Trump assured that the parties have resolved most of their disagreements.

Earlier, Bloomberg reported that since the onset of the military conflict between the U.S. and Israel with Iran, cryptocurrencies have emerged as one of the top-performing asset classes. Bitcoin and other digital currencies have become a “safe haven” amid the volatility of stocks, gold, and oil.