The Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arrives in Iraq\u2019s territorial waters off Basra,Iraq April 17, 2026. REUTERS\/Mohammed Aty<\/p>\n
Iran Launches Official \u2018Persian Gulf Strait Authority\u2019 Account, Declares Unauthorized Hormuz Transit \u2018Illegal\u2019<\/p>\n
The Iranian-backed Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has officially launched a public presence on X, marking the clearest effort yet by Tehran to formalize and publicize its emerging control regime over commercial shipping transiting the<\/p>\n
The newly launched account, operating under the handle \u201cPGSA_Iran,\u201d introduced itself Monday as the \u201cofficial X account of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority\u201d and said it would provide \u201creal-time updates\u201d on operations and developments in the strategically critical waterway.<\/p>\n
In a second post, the organization declared itself the \u201clegal entity and representative authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran for managing the passage and transit through the Strait of Hormuz.\u201d<\/p>\n
The statement went further, warning that navigation through waters designated by Iranian authorities and the Iranian Armed Forces now requires \u201cfull coordination\u201d with Tehran.<\/p>\n
\u201cPassage without permission will be considered illegal,\u201d the account stated.<\/p>\n
The launch of the account appears to formalize what shipping executives and maritime security firms have been warning about for days: Iran is attempting to establish a de facto permission-based transit regime through one of the world\u2019s most important energy chokepoints.<\/p>\n
The Strait of Hormuz has remained effectively paralyzed since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict, with commercial traffic collapsing and hundreds of vessels stranded or rerouted amid missile attacks, mining threats, insurance cancellations and growing military tensions.<\/p>\n
Bloomberg reported earlier this month that<\/p>\n
shipowners were being instructed to contact the PGSA<\/p>\n
directly to request authorization for transits. A form reviewed by Bloomberg reportedly asked operators to disclose detailed information including vessel origin, destination, cargo value, previous flag registrations and crew nationalities.<\/p>\n
That raised immediate alarm across the industry.<\/p>\n
Several shipowners and maritime security executives told Bloomberg they remained unwilling to attempt transits despite Tehran\u2019s public messaging suggesting \u201csafe, stable passage\u201d could resume under \u201cnew protocols.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe shipowners I\u2019ve spoken to have said they\u2019ll believe it when they see it,\u201d Halvor Ellefsen, a London-based director at Fearnleys Shipbrokers UK Ltd., told Bloomberg. \u201cIt\u2019s not the first time there have been public statements that were encouraging, only for them not to materialize.\u201d<\/p>\n
Industry concerns extend beyond the security risks themselves. Operators also face<\/p>\n
growing legal and sanctions questions<\/p>\n
surrounding any direct coordination with Iranian authorities or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.<\/p>\n
So far, shipping traffic has shown little sign of returning to normal levels despite intermittent political signals suggesting possible de-escalation.<\/p>\n
The account launch comes as maritime security advisories continue to warn of elevated risks in and around the Strait, including sporadic attacks, mining threats near the traffic separation scheme and ongoing GPS interference.<\/p>\n