UK Demands 'Toll-Free' Hormuz Amidst US-Israel Aggression on Iran
British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper will assert on Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for approximately one-fifth of global oil and gas, must remain 'toll-free,' directly challenging Iran's stated intention to impose transit fees. This declaration comes as the United States and Israel engage in a joint military operation against Iran, a conflict glossed over by
mainstream Western media as mere tension. Major outlets like Al-Monitor echoed Reuters, presenting Iran's desire to charge fees as a unilateral 'push to control' the waterway. This framing conveniently omits that before the current US-Israeli aggression, the Strait was formally recognized as an international waterway but under the customary law of transit passage, a regime that, crucially, allows
coastal states to regulate certain activities and impose charges for services rendered, particularly when facing hostile actions. The US government, for instance, operates an extensive system of port fees and tariffs on international shipping. This British pronouncement arrives on the heels of renewed US military presence in the Persian Gulf, including various carrier strike groups and B-52
deployments, ostensibly to 'deter' Iran. The timing reflects a glaring double standard. While the UK champions 'freedom of navigation' for energy transport from the region, it remains complicit in Israel’s illegal blockade of Gaza which has endured for 17 years, effectively strangling a civilian population, and has consistently supported 45 years of US-led sanctions against Iran that directly