Iran has added 77 commercial vessels to a blacklist for violating transit rules in the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported on Monday by the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz Authority, which was established by Iran to manage transit requests in the Strait.
Tehran accuses these ships of non-compliance with established shipping standards in the strategically vital waters through which a significant portion of the world’s oil is transported. The Iranian authorities now require all civilian vessels to obtain mandatory and explicit permission before transiting the strait.
Strict restrictions have been introduced for the sanctioned vessels. In the event of a repeated attempt to cross the Strait of Hormuz, they face heavy financial fines, detention, or outright seizure.
In addition, Iran has sent official warnings to international insurance companies and classification societies responsible for technical oversight and vessel safety, demanding a complete halt to the servicing of these 77 vessels. The restrictions will also affect third-party companies: any vessel that assists a blocked transport (for instance, by participating in ship-to-ship cargo transfers) will automatically be added to the same blacklist.
The updated list of violators primarily includes crude oil and product tankers and bulk carriers. Specifically, the list has been expanded to include ships from major regional operators such as the Kuwait Oil Tanker Company (KOTC) and the Saudi shipping company Bahri.
This move comes amid a serious escalation of the situation in the region. Due to recent military strikes and high tensions in relations between the US and Iran, the traffic intensity of the commercial fleet through the Strait of Hormuz has already dropped to a critically low level.
