How many million dollars at a time, but no US dollars?

RMB quietly rises?

Recent news about the Strait of Hormuz, the lifeline of global energy, may be reshaping the international trade and financial order in a way we did not expect.

"Lockdown" without physical lockdown

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important energy chokepoints in the world. In the past, its rules were simple: anyone could pass, as long as it operated according to international shipping rules. However, with the normalization of geopolitical conflicts, the spillover of the sanctions system, and the financialization of shipping risks, this long-standing set of rules is undergoing fundamental changes.

According to British shipping media reports, Iran has specially established a "safe channel" within its territorial waters in the Strait of Hormuz. This waterway is close to Iran's Larak Island, where the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy will conduct identity verification on ships that have passed the review and then release them to provide passage guarantee. The source also pointed out that a preliminary vessel registration mechanism has been established within the IRGC to provide safe passage for "approved vessels".

According to multiple sources, this new operating model presents three core features:

• Pre-filtering:Vessels need to submit information such as ownership, flag country, cargo, destination, etc., and undergo background checks.

• Price threshold: After passing strict review, relevant shipping parties may have to pay high tolls in the millions of dollars.

• Changes in settlement methods:Toll fees are no longer settled in US dollars. RMB, or USDT based on the Tron network, becomes the newly approved settlement method.

In essence, this is not a "blockade" in the traditional sense, but an upgrade of an international waterway into a "permitted channel" with strict screening, high pricing and specific settlement currency requirements.

De-dollarization is no longer just a narrative

This "new regulation" in the Strait of Hormuz directly provides a key, high-value, and mandatory international usage scenario for the RMB. Those shipping companies that need to pass through the strait, whether willingly or not, need to "absorb" yuan to meet the payment requirements of the IRGC. This means that the actual circulation and recognition of RMB in international trade are being improved in a non-market way.

On top of this, there is a more noteworthy detail. There are relevant reports that Iran has released crude oil tankers settled in RMB. You must know that in traditional energy trade, the settlement path is almost fixed: pricing is in US dollars, settlement goes through the banking system, and finally enters the financial cycle with the US dollar as the core. But in the current environment, some transactions have begun to "deviate" and can be settled in RMB.

The changes this brings are not just "more payment methods", but:Energy trading has begun to show the ability to "run away from the path of the US dollar". Once this ability exists, there will be a chain reaction: whoever can be accepted as a means of payment can enter this transaction system.

In this sense, the RMB is more likeIn specific scenarios, it passively enters the circulation link. In other words,A passive "currency penetration" is unfolding.

The "God Assist" of the insurance industry

At the same time, the response of the international insurance industry has provided unexpected structural endorsement for IRGC’s “new regulations”.

The international insurance market, represented by Lloyd’s of London, has begun to reassess the risk structure of the region. Market feedback shows:

• Vessels that have not obtained "passage confirmation" → extremely high risk → difficult to insure

• Confirmed vessel → risk significantly reduced → can be insured

This means that Whether it is "allowed to pass" begins to affect financial pricing. Insurance is essentially the "underlying credit switch" of global trade. Once the insurance system is adjusted, there will be:

• Unqualified vessels cannot complete commercial transactions even if they are physically able to pass

• It is easier for ships that meet the requirements to obtain financial support

In other words, to the surprise of governments, The international insurance market has indirectly recognized IRGC through its actuarial model. The actual control over the strait makes IRGC's permission a prerequisite for the smooth operation of commercial shipping, completing a structural "legitimization" process of financial power.

The new pattern of oil flow

The Strait of Hormuz is not closed.

Oil is still flowing.

But changes have occurred at a deeper level:

• Who can pass

• What currency is used for settlement

• Who defines risk

The Strait of Hormuz, a strategic artery that carries 30% of the world’s maritime oil trade, is accelerating a global financial and geopolitical change in an unprecedented way.