The United States has announced fresh sanctions against Iran, targeting a newly created agency accused of tightening Tehran’s grip on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz one of the world’s busiest energy routes.
In a statement released Wednesday, the US Treasury Department said sanctions had been imposed on Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority, an agency responsible for collecting fees from vessels traveling through the strategic waterway.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused Tehran of trying to use the Strait of Hormuz to pressure global trade and raise money for its military activities.
“The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash,” Bessent said.
Washington also warned that companies or vessels paying the fees demanded by the Iranian agency could themselves face sanctions.
According to the Treasury Department, such payments could be seen as providing support to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards.
The move marks another escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran, despite an uneasy ceasefire that has largely held since April 8.
Although diplomats from both sides continue negotiations aimed at ending the conflict that erupted earlier this year, friction remains high around the Strait of Hormuz a narrow shipping channel through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies pass.
Iran recently published a map outlining what it described as its “regulatory jurisdiction” in the strait, effectively asserting tighter control over vessels passing through the route.
Tehran insists the charges are simply payments for navigational services and maritime management, not tolls or extortion.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei said the country would continue overseeing traffic through the waterway, which has become a major flashpoint in the ongoing regional crisis.
The conflict began after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on February 28, prompting retaliatory missile and drone strikes by Tehran across the Middle East.
In recent days, the US has also carried out fresh strikes on Iranian targets, even as both countries publicly discuss the possibility of a broader agreement to stabilize the region and reopen Gulf shipping routes fully.
Washington says the latest sanctions are aimed at cutting off funding for Iran’s military operations, proxy groups and nuclear ambitions.
