Iran Is Not Blocking the Strait of Hormuz. It's Running a Toll Booth (shatterbelt.co)

Iran is not conducting a full blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, but instead is letting selected “friendly” countries’ ships transit through a controlled “toll booth” system run via IRGC-linked intermediaries, with vetted routes and per-barrel payments (often in yuan or crypto). The article says transits have been limited and uneven—especially for China—while some states (e.g., India, Iraq, and a few European/Japanese-linked vessels) have negotiated exemptions that still leave many ships stranded. It argues the policy functions as geopolitical leverage and a de-dollarization precedent, and highlights high shipping war-risk costs and tighter crude/diesel markets as the continuing backdrop.