Is Iran charging a toll to allow oil traffic through Hormuz?

Middle East oil exports have climbed back above levels seen before the US-Israel war on Iran began in February, despite Tehran’s attempts to blockade the Strait of Hormuz and attack vessels.Crude exports from the region exceeded pre-war levels on four days in the final week of September, reaching between 19.5 and 22.5 million barrels per day (bpd), according to provisional data from maritime tracking firm Kpler. Before the war, exports averaged about 18 million bpd.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Trump vs Europe as US presses for release of emergency diesel stockslist 2 of 3Iraq grants Iranian airlines 40 daily Najaf flights after US exemptionlist 3 of 3Iran says Hormuz to remain closed until US meets conditionsend of listThis surge in oil exports from the region has so far largely been attributed to US ships shepherding tankers out of the Strait of Hormuz, coupled with increasing ship-to-ship transfers that reduce the risks of being targeted by Iranian missiles and drones. Meanwhile, the fact that oil prices have remained high has been explained by analysts as the result of still-elevated insurance rates — driven by fears of Iranian attacks — and a market factoring i...