The contours of a more formal system are now emerging, based on the accounts of multiple multiple people with knowledge of the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity as they aren’t authorized to talk to the media.
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If a vessel makes the cut then discussions over the toll begin. The people said that the Iranians have a ranking system of one to five for nations, with ships from countries that are seen as friendly more likely to get better terms. For oil tankers, the starting price in the negotiations is typically around $1 per barrel of oil, paid in yuan, or stablecoins — cryptocurrencies pegged to the value of hard currency.