Iran Denies Charging Indian Ships a ‘Toll’ to Transit the Strait of Hormuz

The Iranian regime on Monday denied charging a “toll” to Indian ships for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, following President Donald Trump’s threat to prevent any ship that paid ransom to Iran from using the strait.

“You can ⁠ask the Indian government if we ​have charged anything up to now,” Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Fathali insisted at a press conference from the Iranian embassy in New Delhi.

“In this difficult time, we have ​good relations. We believe Iran and ​India share common interests and a common fate,” he said.

Fathali said Iran is keeping in “close communication” with India, with an eye toward ensuring the safety of Indian vessels, but is not extracting a ransom to do so.

“For Indian ships, you know that we have a good relationship with the Indian government. We want good preparation for Indian ships. You know our Foreign Minister has described