[citrin_ru]

> The Straight of Hormuz is open to any country willing to pay $2M per voyage. Any country except the U.S. and Israel.

The straight is not physically closed by Iran. It's closed by insurance companies which asking a very high war risk insurance premiums. Even if you pay $2M it unlikely will reduce the cost of insurance. That's why very few ships are choosing this option (and some of them are shadow fleet tankers which probably have no insurance).

[ahmadyan]

well, you can view it Iranian are willing to insure the vessel for $2M fee - that it will not get hit by them during the crossing ;). Once they are in the Oman sea, they can use traditional insurance.

[credit_guy]

You can view it like that, but most people don't. At least the people involved manning those tankers don't.

And why should them? It appears that the Iranian armed forces started acted quite autonomously, by design. They know that communications are not secure, so local commanders have a very high latitude in what actions they deem correct to take. If such a commander deems that asking and collecting $2 MM per vessel is a good idea, they'll do it. But if another commander thinks that sinking a passing vessel is what their standing orders are, they'll do it too, not being aware that the toll was paid. So, if you are the captain of such a vessel, what do you do? Do you complain to Iran for not holding their end of the bargain?

[yogthos]

I mean ships are going through right now, so clearly at least some people do view it like that.

[mememememememo]

People work on dangerous fishing trawlers because of the $. People can be found who risk their life for money.

[yogthos]

Right, clearly you can always find people to ship oil through the strait. So the whole notion that nobody will use it because it's dangerous is nonsense.

[credit_guy]

If you read what I said, it was that "most people won't do it", not that nobody will do it. From the point of view of worldwide oil supply, what most tanker captains do matters more than what a few exceptions do.

[genxy]

They are all in a whatsapp or telegram together.

[poisonarena]

this is not how the maritime industry works in any way.

[lokar]

It seems Iran sent a notice to the UN recently declaring the straight closed, which, uh, no. But sure.