Qatar opposes proposed Iranian shipping charges in Strait of Hormuz

Doha: Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, has stated that Qatar would not support any Iranian proposal to impose fees on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

According to international media reports, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani emphasised the importance of establishing a direct communication hotline between the United States and Iran to facilitate the restoration of normal maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

He said the mechanism would help prevent the spread of misinformation and reduce the risk of unintended escalation.

The Qatari Prime Minister noted that certain actors may attempt to undermine any agreement reached between the parties. Therefore, he stressed that any threats received by commercial vessels should be independently verified with Iran before any conclusions are drawn.

Addressing reports of a possible Iranian proposal to charge transit fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Sheikh Mohammed stated that Iran would need to present clear justification and supporting arguments for such a measure.

He added that Qatar would carefully assess any formal proposal but made it clear that Doha would not endorse the plan.

He further stated that it would be unacceptable for any single country to exercise control over the only major maritime route through which Qatar accesses global markets.

He expressed hope that shipping activity in the Strait of Hormuz would return to near pre-conflict levels within the next 30 days.

The Prime Minister also revealed that Qatar intends to restore liquefied natural gas (LNG) production to normal levels within the coming weeks. However, he noted that this objective remains dependent on the full normalisation of conditions in and around the Strait of Hormuz.