From TheDeepDive (Canada), March 27:
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has begun accepting yuan-denominated passage fees in the Strait of Hormuz, routing payments through Chinese maritime intermediaries while Tehran’s parliament advances legislation to make the practice permanent, shipping intelligence firm Lloyd’s List confirmed Thursday.
The system — which maritime analysts have labeled the “Tehran Toll Booth” — runs through IRGC-linked intermediaries that pull vessel identification, full crew rosters, cargo details, and ownership records before passing each file for sanctions screening and what Iranian sources describe as geopolitical review. Cleared vessels are then issued authorization codes and escorted by IRGC pilot boats through a dedicated corridor around Larak Island, well inside Iranian territorial waters.
Iran is shifting Hormuz toll payments into yuan via Chinese maritime firms, with legislation underway (today) to lock it in.
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 26, 2026
Already receiving over 80% of oil revenue in yuan through CIPS, Tehran is now expanding that system to shipping fees, further bypassing SWIFT and…
Continues:
...and anchoring the yuan at a key global chokepoint. It means the US can’t sanction it.Lloyd’s List Intelligence, citing three sources familiar with the arrangement, confirmed that at least two vessels have paid transit fees in yuan, with one transit brokered by a Chinese maritime services company that also handled payment to Iranian authorities on behalf of the shipowner....
....MUCH MORE
