Bahrain rejects permit and fee requirements in the Strait of Hormuz

Bahrain rejects permit and fee requirements for passage through the Strait of Hormuz

Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani opposed requiring permits or fees for passage through the Strait of Hormuz during the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly. Al Zayani said restrictions on maritime routes could increase energy, food, transport and insurance costs.

Scraper SystemSeptember 26, 2026, 10:08 AM

Bahrain rejects permit and fee requirements for passage through the Strait of Hormuz

Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani said passage through the Strait of Hormuz is guaranteed under international law and rejected imposing permits or fees for such passage. Speaking on Friday at the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Al Zayani said the right applies to vessels from all states.

Al Zayani said Bahrain opposes the imposition of unilateral conditions on passage through the strait, adding that international waterways should not be turned into tools of pressure or economic coercion. He warned that accepting restrictions in the Strait of Hormuz could set a precedent for other strategic waterways.

Al Zayani said alternative maritime routes cannot replace the right of passage through the Strait of Hormuz or legitimize restrictions on navigation. The Bahraini minister also addressed tensions in the region in his speech.

Al Zayani’s accusations concerning Iran

Al Zayani alleged that Iran had carried out approximately 7,000 attacks against Gulf Cooperation Council countries and Jordan. He claimed that the attacks involved 1,700 ballistic missiles, 80 cruise missiles and 5,220 unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Bahraini minister also said that 2,000 cargo ships and tankers carrying 20,000 seafarers had been detained, 72 commercial vessels had been targeted and 22 seafarers had been killed. These figures were presented as allegations cited by Al Zayani in his speech.

The connection between Hormuz, the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb

Al Zayani said attacks on commercial vessels and restrictions on navigation in the Strait of Hormuz would have consequences extending beyond the Gulf, adding that energy, food, transport and insurance costs could rise. He warned that these developments could disrupt global supply chains.

Al Zayani also condemned attacks by the Houthis in Yemen against civilian areas and Islamic holy sites in Saudi Arabia. Opposing threats to navigation in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Red Sea, Al Zayani said security in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb forms interconnected parts of a single maritime security system.

Bahrain rejects permit and fee requirements for passage through the Strait of Hormuz