The European Union has announced sanctions against two Iranian individuals and one unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy. These sanctions are based on accusations of restricting freedom of navigation...
The European Union has announced sanctions against two Iranian individuals and one unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy. These sanctions are based on accusations of restricting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
On Monday, the EU Council stated that it has designated the Hormozgan Provincial Command of the IRGC Navy for its role in implementing a toll system for ships passing through this vital waterway. According to the EU, vessels must provide identification documents, cargo details, and information about their destinations. This data is used to screen ships and decide if they can pass, sometimes requiring them to pay tolls.
The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial maritime route, responsible for transporting around one-fifth of the world's oil and LNG trade.
The EU has also identified Mohammad Akbarzadeh, the IRGC Navy's deputy commander for political affairs, and Hamid Hosseini, a representative from Iran's Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Products Exporters Union and a member of the Iran Chamber of Commerce.
According to the EU Council, Akbarzadeh has supported actions by the IRGC Navy that threaten navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, including making threats against commercial vessels. Hosseini has been listed for advocating policies that require ships to provide information, undergo inspections, and pay transit fees to Iranian authorities for safe passage.
These sanctions come shortly after the U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), which has been accused of coordinating with the IRGC and IRGC Navy to enforce a permission-based transit system in the Strait.
The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control stated that vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz have had to submit operational information to Iranian authorities and follow routing instructions set by the IRGC Navy to receive what Iran calls safe passage. The Treasury claims that these transit fees ultimately support the IRGC.
This U.S. designation marks a significant escalation in Washington's response to Iran's attempts to take control over commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The Treasury warned that shipowners, insurers, brokers, banks, and other maritime service providers could face sanctions for facilitating transactions involving the PGSA or related Iranian entities.
Shipping leaders and maritime security experts increasingly view this system as an effort to create a de facto toll and control regime over international shipping lanes.
The EU sanctions include asset freezes and bans on providing funds or economic resources to the listed individuals and entity, along with travel restrictions for the two individuals.
With these new listings, the EU's sanctions framework now includes 26 individuals and 27 entities.
This action follows the EU's decision on May 22 to broaden its Iran sanctions to address individuals and entities engaged in actions that threaten freedom of navigation in the Middle East, especially in the Strait of Hormuz.
In statements made in March, EU leaders emphasized the need to fully implement U.N. Security Council Resolution 2817 and highlighted the significance of maritime security and freedom of navigation through the Strait. Following an April ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, the EU also urged all parties to ensure safe passage through the Strait in accordance with international law and the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.