A huge parking lot of ships – Spectacular images of the Strait of Hormuz filmed from an airplane

The Strait of Hormuz has become a vast floating parking lot, as spectacular video footage shot from an airplane shows. The world's most important energy route has been idle for weeks as war continues to wreak havoc in the Middle East.

According to Bloomberg, Iran has begun imposing informal transit fees on some commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, underscoring its growing control over one of the world's most important maritime energy routes

According to sources familiar with the situation, the amounts requested are as high as $2 million per route, essentially creating an informal “passage fee.” It appears that some ships have already paid the amounts, although it is not clear how the payments are made or in what currency, and the practice does not appear to be systematically enforced.

With the war in the Middle East now in its fourth week, the situation further shows the pressure on states to secure their energy supplies.