Iran Launches Persian Gulf Strait Authority, Imposes Hormuz Tolls and Permit Rules for Ships

Iran launched the Persian Gulf Strait Authority on Monday, with official X/Twitter accounts sharing a new page that claimed it would provide “real-time updates on the #Hormuz_Strait operations and latest developments.”

Ebrahim Azizi, chairman of Iran’s Parliament National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, said on Saturday that the body would offer “specialized services” in exchange for a fee, while Windward said ships seeking to transit would have to disclose ownership, insurance, crew manifests, and cargo before being granted a permit.

Al Jazeera

The rules described by the Israeli maritime intelligence and risk management company Windward included a ban on all Israeli-linked vessels and severe restrictions for US ships, and the Jerusalem Post reported that ships reportedly pay USD 2m. each as Tehran starts charging Strait of Hormuz tolls.

The Maritime Executive said the toll regime could reportedly cost international shipowners a fee of up to $2 million per passage in Bitcoin or yuan, and it described the application process as requiring detailed and sensitive information including crew, cargo, ownership, insurance provisions, and past port calls and routing.

The Maritime Executive also said the U.S. Treasury announced its intention to find and sanction owners who pay Iran for safe passage, while it noted that it had yet to set an enforcement precedent by initiating the first penalty.

Iran’s new transit system is tied to a broader standoff, with Al Jazeera reporting that Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned “return to war will feature many more surprises” as talks between Washington and Tehran over resumption of traffic remain stalled.

Al Jazeera also quoted an IRGC statement carried by Iran’s state-affiliated ISNA news agency saying, “Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is being carried out with permission and in coordination with the IRGC Navy,” as the PGSA published a new map on X marking a controlled maritime zone.

Al Jazeera

The Jerusalem Post said there is also a ban on “enemy” military equipment, with Iran’s First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref claiming, “We will not permit that again,” after saying Iran had given up sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.

In parallel, the Press TV account said the IRGC warned that any renewed US-Israeli aggression would trigger wider-than-ever retaliation, while President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated that the Islamic Republic will never bow to coercion.

The Maritime Executive added that the U.S. Treasury’s approach is to sanction owners who pay Iran for safe passage, and it described the PGSA mechanism as an administrative interface with the IRGC Navy that physically controls transits through the waterway.

The Jerusalem Post said J.P. Morgan warned Iran could achieve $70-90 billion in annual revenue if allowed to charge a toll in the Strait of Hormuz, and it reported that the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) warned in early May that payments may face sanctions.

“Iranian regime sets new Strait of Hormuz authority, imposes permit rules for ships; US redirected 91”

Arab Times Kuwait News

OFAC’s warning in the Jerusalem Post included that the requested payments may come in the form of “fiat currency, digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments,” including “nominally charitable donations made to the Iranian Red Crescent Society.”

Euronews reported that Tehran’s Supreme National Security Council announced the launch of an official X account for the PGSA and said vessels must apply via the PGSA’s official email address, submitting ownership details, insurance, crew manifests, cargo declarations and intended routing before a transit permit is issued after a fee is paid.

Euronews also said reports indicate some vessels have already paid up to $2 million per transit, with payment made in Chinese yuan, and it described the PGSA as an administrative interface with the IRGC Navy that physically controls transits through the waterway.

France 24 said the authority was announced as peace talks stall, and it reported that Iran’s top security body shared a post on its official X account saying it would provide “real-time updates on the #Hormuz_Strait operations and latest developments.”