Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority blacklisted 45 tankers on Sunday, warning they could face fines, detention and cargo seizures for alleged violations of transit rules through the Strait of Hormuz. The move follows a U.S. threat of unprecedented sanctions and underscores rising maritime tensions in a corridor that carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne crude and LNG supply.
The blacklist includes very large crude carriers, liquefied natural gas and petroleum gas tankers, and clean product vessels, with Iran’s new authority stating that any vessel engaged in ship-to-ship transfers with listed ships may also be penalized. Among the named vessels are units operated by ADNOC Logistics and Shipping, Navig8 Tankers, Bahri, Klaveness Ship Management, Stolt Tankers and Sinokor, alongside others flagged across Asia and Europe.
The escalation comes six months into the conflict and follows a U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright statement on Friday that the seven-day average of oil transiting the strait exceeded 8 million barrels per day, crediting U.S. Navy operations for maintaining the flow. Wright added that the U.S. had threatened Iran with the toughest sanctions in history, while Tehran warned its response to any new U.S. measures would be devastating.
Iran has historically required shipowners to obtain clearance and pay for security and related services to transit the strait. The latest restrictions mark a formalization of enforcement through the newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority, which published the blacklist via social media late on Sunday. The move raises risks for global energy shipping and could disrupt flows through a critical chokepoint for Middle Eastern oil and gas exports to Asia, Europe and beyond.
