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A new regulatory system has been introduced by Iran for the Strait of Hormuz, making prior authorisation and toll payment mandatory for all vessels, according to a shipping journal.
At a time when Washington is pushing to reopen the strategically vital waterway amid stalled efforts to end the West Asia conflict, Tehran has moved ahead with the new measures, Indian outlet NDTV reports citing Lloyd’s List.
The industry journal said the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has launched a framework requiring ships to obtain transit approval before entering the strait.
Under the system, vessels must submit a “Vessel Information Declaration” containing ownership details, insurance records, crew information and intended transit routes.
The form reportedly contains more than 40 questions, including vessel identification numbers, previous names, cargo details, ports of origin and destination, along with the nationalities of owners, operators and crew members.
Iranian broadcaster Press TV also reported that ships passing through Hormuz are being sent regulations through the email address info@PGSA.ir as part of what it described as a system to exercise Iranian sovereignty over the strait.
According to the PGSA, all transit requests must contain “complete and accurate information”, with further instructions to be issued after review.
The authority warned applicants would bear full responsibility for any false or incomplete information submitted.
Iran has not formally announced preferential access for specific countries, but army official Mohammad Akraminia warned nations complying with US sanctions against Tehran could face difficulties crossing the Strait.
“We have established a new legal and security system in the Strait of Hormuz. From now on, any vessel wishing to pass through it must coordinate with us,” he told Iran’s IRNA News Agency on Sunday.
He said the system was already operational and would bring economic, security and political gains.
NDTV also said Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, cautioned governments including Bahrain against supporting a US-backed resolution on shipping restrictions in the strait.
Iran has previously said it could block passage for vessels linked to the US or Israel, while others may transit only with Iranian consent.
India and Pakistan are among countries that have negotiated with Tehran to secure passage for their flagged vessels.
Tehran has tightened oversight of Hormuz since the start of the West Asia war on Feb 28, allowing only limited vessel movement through the key oil route.
Iranian officials have repeatedly indicated plans to impose tolls on transiting ships and share revenue with Oman.
Last month, Deputy Parliament Speaker Hamidreza Hajibabaei said Iran had already collected its first toll revenue.
Last week, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s Telegram account called for a “new regional and global order under the strategy of a strong Iran”, including the use of Hormuz as strategic leverage.
The US has also imposed restrictions on Iranian Gulf ports, while tensions in the waterway have complicated efforts to secure a lasting ceasefire.
Earlier this month, the Donald Trump administration introduced new sanctions targeting Iranian interests and said ships should not pay Tehran for passage through Hormuz.
The US and Bahrain have reportedly drafted a proposed UN resolution calling on Iran to end restrictions on shipping through the strait.
Diplomatic sources say Russia has indicated it may block the resolution at the UN Security Council.