Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday called for ensuring that after the end of the war with Iran, ships could pass safely and free of charge through the Strait of Hormuz, calling the toll demanded by Iran 'completely unacceptable,' LETA reported citing DPA.
"I don’t think the international community is ready to accept that Iran is establishing a toll collection point for all ships passing through this strait," Mitsotakis said in an interview with the American television channel CNN. "It seems completely unacceptable to me."
Greece has one of the largest merchant fleets in the world by carrying capacity. During the war initiated on February 28 by the US and Israel against Iran, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz virtually stopped due to attacks and threats from Iran.
Ahead of the planned peace talks between the US and Iran over the weekend, Tehran announced its intention to charge ships for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
US President Donald Trump has suggested that the US and Iran could jointly guarantee security in the Strait of Hormuz, but the details of this idea remain unclear.
Mitsotakis noted that a separate international agreement on the Strait of Hormuz may be necessary, but it should not include tolls.
"We will create a very dangerous precedent if this happens with the freedom of navigation," the Prime Minister warned.
The German government also called for ensuring free passage through the strait. A representative of the German Foreign Ministry noted that this strait is not only in Iranian waters and is subject to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure free, safe, and toll-free navigation when traffic through the Strait of Hormuz resumes, he emphasized.
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