Iran government creates agency to tax, control Strait of Hormuz passage

VIDEO: Iran has created a government agency to control and tax vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz. That’s according to the shipping data company Lloyd’s List Intelligence, which reported the move Thursday. The Iranian effort to formalize control over the channel raised new concerns about international shipping as hundreds of commercial ships remained bottled up in the Persian Gulf. Meantime a spokesperson for Iran’s foreign ministry said officials in Tehran are still reviewing messages from Pakistan, which is mediating peace proposals. Iran has been reviewing the proposal from the U.S. to end the war and is expected to hand over it’s reply to mediators Thursday.