The United States has added Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority / PGSA to the OFAC sanctions list, targeting a newly created body designed to manage vessel passage through the Strait of Hormuz and potentially collect transit fees. OFAC says the entity is linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and cooperation with it may create secondary sanctions risk.

For global shipping, the message is clear. Washington is warning shipowners, traders, insurers and financial intermediaries that paying fees to PGSA or using it to arrange passage could be treated as support for an IRGC-linked entity. That directly challenges Iran’s attempt to formalize administrative control over one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints.

The Strait of Hormuz remains critical for oil markets, with roughly one-fifth of global oil supply typically moving through the route. Sanctioning PGSA is therefore more than a legal measure; it is part of a broader contest over maritime control, energy security and sanctions enforcement. As tensions around Iran continue, markets are likely to price in higher risk across oil, shipping and insurance. The key danger is that more companies avoid the route, amplifying pressure on energy prices and supply chains.