Iran Parliament commission approves Hormuz transit ban for sanctioning countries

The Iranian Parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission has approved a plan that would ban countries and entities imposing unilateral sanctions or taking hostile measures against Tehran from transiting the Strait of Hormuz, a senior lawmaker says. Hassan Ghashghavi, spokesman for the commission, on Sunday announced the approval of Article 9 of the Strategic Action Plan for Ensuring Security and Advancement of the Strait of Hormuz. Based on the plan, he said, countries, companies and individuals found to have imposed sanctions or carried out hostile measures against Iran would be prohibited from passing through the strategic waterway. He added that vessels and cargoes linked to such countries and entities would also be banned from transiting through the Strait of Hormuz. The lawmaker explained that two authorities have been designated to determine whether countries or entities fall under the measure. Ghashghavi said the General Staff of the Armed Forces will serve as the authority for identifying hostile actions against Iran, while the Supreme National Security Council will determine which countries or institutions are imposing sanctions or blocking Iran's assets. Iran Parliament introduces bill to manage Strait of Hormuz amid US interventions: MP A senior Iranian lawmaker says Parliament has formally introduced a new legislative proposal to assert control over the management of the Strait of Hormuz. Back in July, the Parliament formally introduced the “Strategic Action Plan for Ensuring Security and Sustainable Development of the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf” to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has restricted transit through the Strait of Hormuz since the early days of the US-Israeli war of aggression that began on February 28 and came to a halt under a ceasefire in early April amid the Islamic Republic’s brave resistance and successful retaliatory operations. On June 17, Tehran and Washington signed the Pakistan-brokered Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), whose Article 5 places responsibility for reopening and managing the strait squarely in Iran’s hands. However, the US attempted to undermine Iran’s sovereignty over the vital global energy chokepoint by establishing an unsafe corridor near the Omani shores. The US also resumed its aerial assaults on Iran and imposed a naval blockade of the country in violation of the war-ending deal. The unlawful US measures prompted Iran to declare the Strait of Hormuz closed to all traffic. The Islamic Republic has stressed that the reopening of the critical waterway depends on US compliance with its obligations under the MoU.