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Suez, Panama canals charge for transit — why can't Hormuz?

Deutsche Welle · 🇩🇪 public Germany · · 889 words · By Nik Martin
International maritime law Geopolitical Conflict (US-Iran) Global Energy Security
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What to know about International maritime law

Deutsche Welle reports: Suez, Panama canals charge for transit — why can't Hormuz?.

Claims checked 17
Techniques found 3
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center86%
Right14%

7 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Deutsche Welle reports: Suez, Panama canals charge for transit — why can't Hormuz?.

Why it matters

May 28, 2026The Iranian regime has been accused of extortion and threats to global energy security after reports emerged that Tehran has begun charging up to $2 million (€1.7 million) per vessel for "safe passage" through the Strait of Hormuz.

Common ground

The strait is the world's most indispensable energy corridor, squeezed between Iran and Oman.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language, Name Calling / Labeling, Appeal to Anger: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.dw.com/en/suez-panama-canals-charge-for-transit-why-cant-hormuz/a-77…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 3 propaganda techniques in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 90% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Name Calling / Labeling 80% confidence
Attaching a negative label to a person or group to reject them without evidence.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing name calling / labeling helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.
warning
Appeal to Anger 70% confidence
Provoking outrage to bypass rational evaluation of an argument.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing appeal to anger helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 17 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

schedule Pending 7
check_circle Corroborated 4
verified Verified By Reference 2
info Single Source 2
help Insufficient Evidence 2
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Claim 1: “The government announced that it was drafting a joint protocol with Oman to require ships to obtain permits before transiting the strait.”
CORROBORATED
Confirmed by DW and other web search results from April and May 2026, stating that Iran is drafting a joint protocol with Oman to require permits for transiting the strait.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — From 28 February 2026, as part of the 2026 Iran War, Iran began launching a series of drone strikes on sites in Oman and the Strait of Hormuz, initially targeting the Port of Duqm and the Port of Sala…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iranian_strikes_on_Oman
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Strait of Hormuz () is a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast lies the Musandam Peninsula under the Musandam Governorate of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
Claim 2: “The United States and China agreed on their joint opposition to the levy, Reuters news agency reported earlier this month, citing a US State Department official.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The evidence mentions US Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling on China to prevent Iran from closing the strait, and Chinese social media mocking the situation, but there is no specific evidence of a joint agreement between the US and China to oppose the levy.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — On April 12, 2025, Iran and the United States began a series of negotiations aimed at reaching a nuclear peace agreement, following a letter from US president Donald Trump to Iranian supreme leader Al…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–2026_Iran–United_States_n…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The involvement of the People's Republic of China in the 2026 Iran war has encompassed a range of diplomatic, intelligence, and logistical actions amid the conflict that began with coordinated airstri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_in_the_2026_Iran_war
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The relationship between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the United States (US) has been complex and at times tense since the establishment of the PRC on 1 October 1949 and subsequent retreat…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China–United_States_relations
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 3: “Egypt generates annual revenues of around $4 billion in fees for ships transiting the 193-kilometer (120-mile) Suez shortcut.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for Egypt consists of general country facts (population, geography) from Wikipedia and Britannica, but does not mention the specific $4 billion annual revenue figure for the Suez Canal.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — With over 107 million inhabitants, Egypt is the most populous country in the Arab world, third-most populous country in Africa, and 15th-most populated in the world. Egypt has one of the longest histo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egypt
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — 1 day ago · Egypt is a country located in the northeastern corner of Africa. Egypt’s heartland, the Nile River valley and delta, was the home of one of the principal civilizations of the ancient Middl…
https://www.britannica.com/place/Egypt
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Dec 19, 2023 · Egypt is a transcontinental country that stretches from the northeast corner of Africa to the southwest corner of Asia. The Sinai Peninsula of Egypt acts as the land bridge between thes…
https://www.worldatlas.com/maps/egypt
schedule
Claim 4: “Under this treaty, Turkey must allow freedom of passage for merchant ships and can only charge limited service fees for navigation aids and lighthouses, not full transit tolls.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info
Claim 5: “the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank labeled the tolls a maritime "protection racket."”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the ISW is a known entity (confirmed by Wikipedia), the specific quote labeling the tolls a 'protection racket' is not corroborated by multiple independent sources in the provided evidence; it appears in a 'Briefly' summary but lacks broad corroboration.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been at war with Iran and its regional allies. Active hostilities broke out after surprise US–Israeli airstrikes targeting military and govern…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Institute for the Study of War (ISW) is an American advocacy think tank founded in 2007 by military historian Kimberly Kagan and headquartered in Washington, D.C. ISW has provided analysis of mode…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_for_the_Study_of_War
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Twelve-Day War was an armed conflict between Iran and Israel which lasted from 13 to 24 June 2025. It began when Israel bombed military and nuclear facilities in Iran in a surprise attack, assassi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve-Day_War
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 6: “Tehran has begun charging up to $2 million (€1.7 million) per vessel for "safe passage" through the Strait of Hormuz.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent web search results (DW and other news reports from May 2026) confirm that Iran has been demanding up to $2 million for vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 28, 2026 ... Iran has been widely condemned for demanding up to $2 million for vessels to ship through the Strait of Hormuz. DW explores the reasons why ...
https://www.dw.com/en/suez-panama-canals-charge-for-transit-…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 18, 2026 ... Tehran has launched a formal body to manage and charge ships for transit through the Strait of Hormuz in a highly-contested move as tankers pile ...
https://www.euronews.com/2026/05/18/iran-sets-up-hormuz-tran…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 31, 2026 ... Iran has been widely condemned for demanding up to $2 million for vessels to ship through the Strait of Hormuz.
https://globalnation.inquirer.net/325414/suez-panama-canals-…
help
Claim 7: “Completed in 1914 to link the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, the Panama Canal requires huge ongoing maintenance, including constant dredging to combat sedimentation and landslides.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found in the search results for this specific claim.
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Claim 8: “The 1888 Constantinople Convention, signed by major powers at the time, explicitly allows the Egyptian government to levy tolls to cover maintenance, operations and upgrades.”
CORROBORATED
The 1888 Constantinople Convention's role in the Suez Canal is confirmed by Wikipedia and a web search result specifically stating it allows the Egyptian government to levy tolls for maintenance and operations.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Convention of Constantinople in 1888 declared the canal a neutral zone under the protection of the British, who had occupied Egypt and Sudan at the ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suez_Canal
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Constantinople Convention of 1888 and the rights and obliga- tions arising therefrom. The Government of Egypt will continue to respect, observe and ...
https://www.jstor.org/stable/40705193
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — May 31, 2026 · The 1888 Constantinople Convention, signed ... allows the Egyptian government to levy tolls to cover maintenance, operations and upgrades.
https://globalnation.inquirer.net/325414/suez-panama-canals-…
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Claim 9: “Before the Iran war, it carried one-fifth of all the oil and gas consumed worldwide.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including The Guardian and other web search results, state that approximately one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies normally pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Since 28 February 2026, the United States and Israel have been at war with Iran and its regional allies. Active hostilities broke out after surprise US–Israeli airstrikes targeting military and govern…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Iran_war
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a major maritime choke point for world energy trade, has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, when the United States and Israel launched …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis
menu_book
wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Strait of Hormuz () is a waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On the north coast lies Iran, and on the south coast lies the Musandam Peninsula under the Musandam Governorate of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait_of_Hormuz
+ 3 more evidence sources
schedule
Claim 10: “Russia, for example, charges icebreaker escort fees, pilotage and service tariffs on the Northern Sea Route (NRS) along the country's northern coast.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 11: “Moscow treats large sections as internal waters or ice-covered areas under UNCLOS Article 234.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
help
Claim 12: “the Panama Canal Authority, which runs the US-built canal on behalf of Panama, is also permitted to charge fees under separate treaties.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided or found in the search results for this specific claim.
verified
Claim 13: “The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) gives vessels — and aircraft — from all nations the right of so-called transit passage through international straits that connect two parts of the high seas.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The UNCLOS framework regarding transit passage through international straits is a matter of international law and is confirmed by the provided PDF references and legal overviews.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — the provisions of this Convention and other rules of international law, relating to innocent passage through the territorial sea, in respect of all or any of ...
https://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/texts/unc…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — This article examines the legal status of straits used for international navigation under international law. The discussion of the legal status.
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID2384416_cod…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — In 1982, the United Nation's Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) sought to protect the international access for nations to sail through straits or canals.
https://mps.blueconomy-il.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/UNC…
schedule
Claim 14: “"The Strait is going to be open to everybody; it's international waters," US President Donald Trump told reporters during a White House cabinet meeting on Wednesday.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 15: “Washington continues to urge shipping companies not to pay the tolls and has warned that firms that do could face secondary US sanctions for doing business with Iran.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 16: “The Bosporus and Dardanelles, which connect the Black Sea to the Mediterranean through Turkey, are governed by the 1936 Montreux Convention.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
schedule
Claim 17: “Canada has similar sovereignty claims over the Northwest Passage, a sea route through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.