Iran has launched a new body called the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, requiring all ships wishing to cross the Strait of Hormuz to register, fill out forms, and pay a toll before receiving a transit permit. The move represents Tehran's most formalised attempt yet to assert sovereign governance over a waterway that carries roughly 20 per cent of the world's seaborne oil trade.
Under the new system, vessels intending to transit the strait receive an email from an address associated with the Persian Gulf Strait Authority, informing them of the passage regulations. 'Ships intending to transit the Strait of Hormuz [will] receive an email from [email protected], informing them of the transit regulations of the Strait of Hormuz. They then adjust themselves to this framework and receive a transit permit,' a statement attributed to the PGSA said. The authority's logo, bearing the name 'Persian Gulf Strait Authority — Islamic Republic of Iran,' was also shared publicly on social media on 5 May 2026.
