Iran’s government is preparing to impose environmental compensation fees on ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, official state news agency IRNA said Thursday, citing the deputy head of the Iranian Environmental Protection Organization.

Ahmadreza Lahijan-Zadeh said the proposed framework would require ships using the strategic waterway to contribute to the costs of repairing environmental damage in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.

“The government has decided that the cost of compensating for environmental damage caused to the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman will be collected from services provided to ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz,” Lahijan-Zadeh said, according to IRNA.

He said a draft regulatory framework — which is still under government review before being submitted to parliament for approval — calculates fees based on factors including the type, tonnage, and cargo of each vessel. 

“The amounts received will be used to compensate for environmental damage and restore damaged habitats,” he said, adding that more than 22,000 oil tankers typically pass through the strait annually, contributing to pollution in the environmentally sensitive region.

“The Persian Gulf waterway is considered one of the most sensitive habitats in the world, and the presence of mangrove forests and coral reefs increases the importance and necessity of protecting this region,” he said.

He also said damage had been caused during recent hostilities, including a roughly 150-mile stretch of coastline he said had been contaminated by oil during the war.

“In some areas where ships were targeted, our colleagues from the Environmental Protection Organization in Bushehr and Hormozgan provinces were present and documented the damages as much as possible,” Lahijan-Zadeh said.