Iran's recent threats to collect "tolls" in the Strait of Hormuz raise the obvious question again: if huge sums are paid for passage through the Suez Canal, why is it considered "extortion" in Hormuz?
The answer lies in one profound difference – geographical and legal – explained as follows:
The Suez Canal is an artificial canal. Egypt dug it, maintains it, and operates it within its absolute sovereign territory. Legally, it is a "toll road" in every sense. Ships pay for using infrastructure that a state built and maintains. This is legitimate, regulated, and agreed upon according to the Constantinople Convention (1888).
Hormuz is a natural strait. According to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, vessels have the right of "transit passage" uninterrupted through international straits. This is a fundamental right that the bordering countries (Iran and Oman) are not authorized to block, restrict, or condition on payment. They can regulate safety and environmental standards but are not the "owners" of the passage.
