The Iranian government established the Persian Gulf Shipping Authority (PGSA) on May 7, claiming it was a measure to manage traffic through the Hormuz Strait. Following the U.S. Treasury Department's designation of PGSA as a target of sanctions, the agency asserted that this recognition affirms its control over the strait.
On May 29, PGSA condemned the U.S. sanctions via its X account, stating, "The sanctions imposed by a nation that prides itself on piracy are evidence of our positive achievements." The agency further claimed, "The U.S. will never gain control over the Hormuz Strait through sanctions, which it could not achieve on the battlefield or diplomatic front."
PGSA noted that while the U.S. is escalating tensions in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, it continues to facilitate smooth navigation for non-hostile vessels by processing inspections and issuing transit permits. The agency announced plans to release statistics on its activities in its first month soon.
Earlier, on May 27, the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added PGSA to its Specially Designated Nationals (SDN) list under an executive order aimed at combating terrorist financing and support. OFAC characterized PGSA as an organization established in collusion with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to extort money from commercial vessels passing through the Hormuz Strait. It also claimed that the tolls collected by PGSA are funneled to the IRGC, which the U.S. designates as a foreign terrorist organization (FTO).
Consequently, the U.S. has stated that shipping companies must not provide any form of compensation—whether cash, goods, virtual assets, offset transactions, informal swaps, or indirect donations—to PGSA in order to obtain transit permits for the Hormuz Strait.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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