PGSA Announces Halt to Traffic through Strait of Hormuz
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Affairs Authority (PGSA) announced on Sunday that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been suspended until further notice, citing recent “illegal movements” by US military forces in the region.
In a post on its X account on July 12, the PGSA said that transit through the Strait of Hormuz is currently suspended due to recent illegal activities by US military forces in the region.
“As soon as stability and calm are restored, all applications will be reviewed according to the established schedule and the necessary permits will be issued,” the authority noted.
It also reminded the ships and seafarers that the only way to obtain a transit permit is through the PGSA.ir website.
The announcement came after the IRGC Navy declared the Strait of Hormuz closed until further notice and until the US ends its military intervention in the region. The force said the decision followed repeated violations by vessels attempting to use an unauthorized route through the strategic waterway despite prior warnings from Iranian authorities.
According to the IRGC, one vessel that ignored repeated warnings, disabled its tracking systems and endangered maritime security was brought to a halt with warning fire. The force warned that any attempt by the US to exploit the incident as a pretext for further military action would be met with severe retaliation against additional American military bases in the region.
Iran has tightened its control over the Strait of Hormuz after the US and the Zionist regime launched an unprovoked war of aggression against the Islamic Republic on February 28. Tehran has since maintained that all maritime traffic through the strategic chokepoint must comply with procedures established by the Iranian authorities.
In May, Iran introduced a new mechanism for managing navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, requiring vessels to coordinate their transit with Iranian authorities and follow designated routes. Although Iran and the US later reached the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, under which Iran's role in administering navigation through the strait was recognized, Tehran says continued US military interference in the waterway constitutes a violation of the agreement./tasnim