Iran’s newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has sharply condemned the latest sanctions imposed by the United States, declaring that its operations in the Strait of Hormuz will continue “without interruptions.” 

The body, which was created to regulate and manage vessel passage through the strategic waterway, accused Washington of failing to achieve control through warfare and diplomacy, and insisted that sanctions would prove equally ineffective.

In a statement posted on X, PGSA argued that being sanctioned by the United States was a sign of its effectiveness, describing the move as an admission of failure by a country whose leadership “takes pride in piracy.”

The authority stressed that it would persist in reviewing and granting permits to “non-hostile” vessels, ensuring navigation remains facilitated despite what it called provocative American actions in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman. It further announced that statistics from its first month of activity would be published soon, signalling confidence in its operational continuity.

The sanctions were announced by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which added PGSA to its Specially Designated Nationals list.

The measure forms part of President Trump’s intensified “Economic Fury” campaign, designed to tighten financial pressure on Iran. US officials accused PGSA of working closely with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its naval arm to impose illegitimate tolls on international shipping, alleging that revenues were funnelled to support Iran’s military programmes and regional proxies.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described PGSA’s activities as “the Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade,” claiming that the sanctions regime had deprived Tehran of vital revenue streams for weapons development and nuclear ambitions.

He vowed that under President Trump’s leadership, Washington would continue to constrict Iran’s maritime and commercial networks, portraying the sanctions as part of a relentless campaign against what the US labels the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism.

PGSA has recently defined the boundaries of its supervisory authority over the Strait of Hormuz. According to its announcement, the management zone extends from the line connecting Kuh Mobarak in Iran to the southern coast of Fujairah in the UAE at the eastern end of the strait, to the line linking the end of Qeshm Island in Iran with Umm al-Qaiwain in the UAE at the western end.

The body emphasised that all frequencies within this range require coordination with the Persian Gulf Waterway Management and a permit from PGSA before passage can be authorised.

This development underscores the intensifying confrontation between Iran and the United States over control of the Strait of Hormuz, a waterway through which nearly a fifth of global oil trade normally passes.

While Washington seeks to portray PGSA as a tool of extortion and coercion, Tehran insists it is a sovereign mechanism for regulating maritime traffic and safeguarding its national interests. The clash highlights the broader geopolitical struggle in West Asia, where sanctions, military manoeuvres, and regulatory assertions converge on one of the world’s most critical energy lifelines.

ANI