The Strait of Hormuz has never been closed

I heard the BBC say yesterday that the Strait of Hormuz is closed.  

This is untrue. 

7 ships passed through yesterday.

17 the day before. 

The Strait of Hormuz has been open every day since February 28. 

Iran never closed it but charged a toll and only gave permission for some ships to pass. 

Traffic has collapsed but the handful of tankers that transit each day do so with Iranian permission after paying usually between $2 million and $4 million per ship in yuan or USDT on the Tron network. 

Iran wants to be compensated for the damage inflicted by the USA in its bombing raids but claims the fees are for maintenance or something like that  That makes them comply with international law, I assume. 

The IRGC issues vessels clearance with a time slot and an agreed route through Iranian waters near Larak Island where the Iranian navy, which still exists despite Donald Trump’s claim to have destroyed it, watches them. carefully. 

China, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Malaysia, Iraq, Bangladesh pass. 

Shadow fleet operators linked obscurely to Russia pass. 

Not all pay the full toll. Ships from some countries favoured by Iran pay nothing. 

One such country is Nato member Spain.

It is not a blockade. 

Lloyd’s of London has withdrawn standard hull and machinery coverage for Hormuz transits. War-risk policies now carry premiums of up to 5 percent of vessel value. But if a vessel can prove it has paid the toll and received Iranian clearance this considerably lowers the premium. 

Lloyds has formalised Iranian authority over the strait.

Lloyds of London, like the bond market, proves the effectiveness of free market economics. 

By the way, I remember an Iranian minister guaranteed any ship safe passage if it was accompanied by a US warship, but his offer wasn't taken up. I thought that droll.