Iran said it has blacklisted an oil tanker that violated the Strait of Hormuz transit rules and would also take action against all ships that conduct ship-to-ship transfers with it.
According to Iranian local media on the 24th (local time), the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) on the previous day disclosed 45 ships subject to four sanctions on X (formerly Twitter) and warned it could impose fines on these vessels or seize their cargo.
PGSA is a newly established agency to manage the Strait of Hormuz.
After the United States signaled the toughest sanctions in history targeting Iran, and as Iran pushed back, saying it would deliver a "devastating" response to America's new threat, Iran is heightening tensions by rolling out another pressure move.
Among the sanctioned ships are reportedly five vessels owned by Sinokor Merchant Marine (Sinokor). Vessels from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Norway were also placed on the list.
The Iranian side also said that all vessels involved in ship-to-ship transfer (STS) with these ships could be added to the blacklist.
This means ships that quietly shuttle through the Strait of Hormuz to move oil onto very large crude carriers waiting outside the strait could also be subject to sanctions.
However, PGSA did not specify exactly which rules these ships violated.