
This system, overseen by a shadowy intermediary linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, assigns each nation a friendliness ranking of one to five, as if the world were a schoolyard and Iran the strictest of teachers. Vessel operators must submit their life stories-ownership records, flag registrations, cargo manifests, and the like-to this bureaucratic leviathan, a process as tedious as it is absurd. Upon approval, they receive a passcode broadcast over VHF radio, followed by a naval escort so grand it might rival the pageantry of a royal court. At least two vessels have already paid in yuan, with oil tankers’ fees reportedly opening at a mere $1 per barrel-a pittance for a ship carrying 2 million barrels, yet a fortune for Iran’s coffers.