The United States Treasury on Wednesday announced fresh sanctions targeting Iran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority, accusing Tehran of using the strategic Strait of Hormuz to pressure global maritime trade and generate revenue.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Iranian government’s move to collect fees from vessels passing through the waterway showed that sanctions pressure had weakened the country’s finances.
According to the Treasury Department, any individual or company paying the imposed fees could also face sanctions for allegedly supporting Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
Bessent stated that US measures had already blocked Iran from accessing tens of billions of dollars that could have funded weapons development, proxy groups, and nuclear activities.
On May 20, Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority published a map on X outlining what it described as its regulatory zone in the Strait of Hormuz, marking areas where ships would require Iranian approval to pass.
Although American and Iranian forces have largely observed a ceasefire since April 8 while diplomatic efforts continue, tensions remain high. Iran has increased oversight of shipping activities in the strait, while the US has recently carried out strikes on Iranian targets.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei defended the policy, saying Tehran was merely charging for navigational services and maintaining order in the key waterway, which handles around 20 percent of global oil and natural gas shipments.
The conflict escalated after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, prompting retaliatory missile and drone strikes by Tehran across the region.
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