Iran Launches Email Permit System for Strait of Hormuz Vessel Transits

Iran has introduced a new mechanism for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, with ships receiving an email from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority outlining rules and regulations for passage. The system requires vessels to adjust their operations according to the framework and obtain a transit permit before crossing the Strait of Hormuz, according to Press TV reporting cited by multiple outlets. The initiative is described as a sovereign governance system and is now operational in the Strait of Hormuz, where it is presented as tightening Tehran’s control over maritime traffic. In parallel, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran remains open to negotiations with the United States but will not yield to pressure, framing the dispute as incompatible with unilateral demands.

While Iran formalized its permit system, the United States launched Project Freedom to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, with U.S. Central Command saying the plan kicked off Monday with the safe passage of two U.S.-flagged merchant ships. CENTCOM said Project Freedom is designed to “restore freedom of navigation for commercial shipping,” and it described U.S. guided-missile destroyers operating in the Arabian Gulf after transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Iran responded by warning that “maritime movements of vessels, contrary to the regulations declared by the Iranian Navy, would face serious risks, and that they would be stopped by force.” CBS News reported that two U.S. Navy destroyers, the USS Truxtun and USS Mason, transited the Strait of Hormuz after navigating an Iranian barrage, and defense officials told CBS News that neither U.S. vessel was struck.

The new Iranian transit framework and U.S. escort efforts are playing out against a backdrop of ceasefire claims and escalating maritime guidance. The War Zone reported that the IRGC said Project Freedom and the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports acts of “piracy,” and it added that Project Freedom violates the April 8 ceasefire agreed to by the U.S. and Iran. CBS News said the transit comes after President Trump said the U.S. would help “guide” ships through the Strait of Hormuz, while it also described a fragile four-week-long ceasefire between the two countries being put into question by Iran’s threats. In the same reporting stream, Iran’s state-run news outlets denied claims of attacks, while CBS News said Iran launched missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates earlier Monday and that Iranian drones targeted an oil tanker owned by Abu Dhabi’s state energy company.