Iran’s newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) announced on Sunday that vessels violating transit rules in the Strait of Hormuz will face penalties including fines, detention, or confiscation. The authority stated that cargo owners should consult an updated list of non-compliant vessels linked to voyages in the Persian Gulf, adding that ships engaging in ship-to-ship transfers with listed vessels will also be penalized. Vessels seeking removal from the list must submit a formal request with supporting documentation to Iranian maritime authorities.
The warning comes as the U.S. prepares to impose fresh sanctions starting Monday, targeting Iran’s trading partners. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is scheduled to hold a press conference at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT) on Monday to outline the measures. Washington has warned Iran over the weekend, framing the new sanctions as the most aggressive financial campaign yet against Tehran.
In a Sunday opinion piece published in the Financial Times, Bessent described the coming measures as an economic "D-Day" and the "endgame" of the U.S. campaign against Iran. He stated that any nation serving as a financial conduit for Tehran should expect to face isolation alongside the regime. The sanctions build on an existing broad regime targeting Iran’s banking, energy, aviation, and cryptocurrency sectors, with the Trump administration citing runaway inflation and a collapsing currency as evidence of Iran’s economic decline.
The announcement follows the expiration of a 60-day ceasefire window without a new agreement, ending a six-month-old conflict in the Middle East. No military strikes have been exchanged between the two countries in weeks, and diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute have stalled.
