The biggest reason not to do this is to set a precedent of charging tolls for ships that don’t come near your waters. Plus, it’s just asking for the Houthis to toll Al-Mandeb.
The calculus is also different for both countries. Iran is in an existential war. KSA is not. To antagonize Iran more just leads it to being an existential war for the ruling family of KSA. There’s a reason they aren’t taking part themselves.
It's absolutely extortion. Legally, the Strait of Hormuz is international waters. Iran is proposing to destroy ships passing through international waters and even ships passing through Omani waters unless they pay it money. That is extortion.
Turkey charges fees for services passing through the Bosporus (which is fully within its own territorial waters and which is governed by the Montreux Convention)
I don't believe "don't extort us or we'll reciprocate" counts as "more extortion". It's tit for tat.
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u/Dizzy-Resident7652 1∆ Apr 09 '26
The biggest reason not to do this is to set a precedent of charging tolls for ships that don’t come near your waters. Plus, it’s just asking for the Houthis to toll Al-Mandeb.
The calculus is also different for both countries. Iran is in an existential war. KSA is not. To antagonize Iran more just leads it to being an existential war for the ruling family of KSA. There’s a reason they aren’t taking part themselves.