(Adnkronos) – Iran claims that hundreds of foreign ships have requested authorization to cross the Strait of Hormuz from the new authority established by Tehran to supervise passage in the strategic maritime route. The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (Pgsa) stated on X that “more than 200 non-Iranian ships coordinated” their transit in the three weeks following the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, before the new escalation of fighting in the region.
According to the Iranian authority, most of the vessels “received transit authorization and insurance coverage.” The Pgsa attributed the new closure of the Strait to “the movements of US military forces in the region,” reiterating that before the decision, Tehran considered the route open, but only for ships that had coordinated passage with Iranian authorities.
The creation of the Pgsa represents Iran’s attempt to strengthen its control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large part of the Gulf’s oil exports pass, and to assert its claim of sovereignty over the maritime route. The United States, on the other hand, has urged naval operators not to cooperate with the Iranian body, while President Donald Trump reiterated that the Strait “will remain open with or without Iran.”
