WASHINGTON (Reuters) — Any shippers paying tolls to Iran for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, including charitable donations to organizations such as the Iranian Red Crescent Society, are at risk of punitive sanctions, the US Treasury warned on Friday.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most strategically vital maritime routes, with about 20 percent of the world’s seaborne ​crude oil ​and liquefied ⁠natural gas flows passing through it.

Tehran has proposed fees or tolls on vessels passing through the Strait, as part of proposals to end the war with Israel and the United States.

The advisory, from Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), said the US is aware of Iranian threats to shipping and demands for payments in exchange for safe passage through the strait.

The warning came as Iran sent its latest proposal for negotiations with the US to Pakistani mediators.

OFAC advised companies this week that paying the tolls puts them at risk, but clarified on Friday that payments disguised through charity or indirect payments are not allowed.

OFAC said demands may include several payment options, including fiat currency,........

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