Milan, 26 March (LaPresse/AP) – The Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Jasem Mohamed al-Budaiwi, stated during a press conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, that Iran is imposing tolls on ships for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Al-Budaiwi is the first senior official to accuse Iran of demanding payment for safe passage through the strait. “They have closed the Strait of Hormuz and imposed tariffs for transit, which constitutes an act of aggression and a violation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” he said. Al-Budaiwi heads the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), a bloc of six Arab Gulf nations, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.