Iran authority rejects US sanctions bid to control Hormuz
The Persian Gulf Strait Authority said Friday that US Treasury sanctions targeting the body would fail to secure American control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, condemning the measures as ineffective attempts to achieve through economic pressure what Washington could not accomplish through military or diplomatic means.
Authority dismisses sanctions as ineffective
Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority on Friday dismissed US Treasury sanctions as futile attempts to secure control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, stating that Washington had failed to dominate the waterway through military force or diplomacy and would not succeed through economic coercion either.
The agency condemned the measures on social media platform X, noting that being targeted by a country "whose president boasts about piracy" represented recognition of its effective maritime stewardship. "You failed to gain control of the Strait of Hormuz through military means and diplomacy, and you will not achieve it through sanctions either," it said. The authority added that it continues processing transit requests for non-hostile vessels without interruption despite provocative American actions in the Gulf and Gulf of Oman, and plans to release operational statistics covering the first month of activity soon.
Treasury accuses body of IRGC links
The US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the agency Wednesday, accusing it of acting as an extortion arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps by forcing commercial vessels to pay illegitimate tolls and submit sensitive information for safe passage. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the measures aim to increase pressure on Tehran, warning that entities cooperating with the authority could face similar sanctions risks, according to the department's statement.
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Ceasefire holds amid diplomatic deadlock
Tensions have persisted since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February, prompting Tehran to retaliate against Israeli and Gulf targets while blocking the Strait of Hormuz. A ceasefire took effect April 8 through Pakistani mediation, but subsequent talks in Islamabad collapsed without a lasting agreement, leading President Donald Trump to extend the truce indefinitely as both sides continue exchanging proposals to resume direct negotiations.
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