A new Iranian agency to force shippers to comply with regulations around the Strait of Hormuz has been added to the U.S. Treasury’s sanctions list.
The Persian Gulf Straits Authority is on the Treasury Department’s list of Specially Designated Nationals, and Americans are generally prohibited from doing business with the authority.
The Treasury Department said in a statement on Wednesday that the creation of the authority is another attempt by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) to “monetize state-sponsored terrorist activities by extorting ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
After the US-Israel-Iran war began on February 28, Iran has been trying to introduce new protocols for transit through the Strait of Hormuz since effectively closing the vital waterway.
The organization was established on May 5 as a “legal entity and official representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran” responsible for issuing permits and regulating maritime traffic through the strait, according to Iran’s state-run Nour News report.
Background: The Iranian government this month set out a new set of rules for ships attempting to transit the strait, pushing ahead with efforts to formalize control of the waterway in defiance of U.S. warnings, according to documents obtained by CNN.
This document, entitled ‘Ship Information Declaration’, is an application issued by the Persian Gulf Straits Authority (PGSA) and must be completed by all vessels passing through to ensure safe navigation. The information was shared with CNN by Lloyd’s List and another shipping industry official who requested anonymity.
CNN’s Eleni Giokos and Tim Lister contributed to this report.
