Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has blacklisted 45 vessels it alleges have violated its rules for transiting the Strait of Hormuz, warning they could face detention, confiscation or fines. The authority has urged cargo owners to check the list before chartering vessels.
It also warned that ships conducting ship-to-ship transfers or transhipments with blacklisted vessels will themselves be added to the list. The US sanctioned PGSA in May and has questioned the legality of Iran requiring vessels to pay tolls to obtain transit permits for the Strait.
Traffic through the Strait remains subdued with 121 crossings last week, and with laden transfers down 26% and sanctioned crossings rising from nine to 16. Vessels using Iran’s routing scheme accounted for 46.3% of crossings. At least 14 of the 45 listed vessels have been attacked in or around the Strait in recent months.
ADNOC Logistics & Services has the largest representation, with eight vessels under its management, including LNG carriers, VLCCs, a bulker and a chemical/product tanker. The UAE-based group also owns 80% of Navig8, which owns Navig8 Messi, struck by a drone on 14 August.
Other listed vessels linked to major shipping groups include ADNOC-operated Mombasa B, attacked on 14 July, and GFS Galaxy, a 7,000 teu containership owned by Global Feeder Shipping, which was attacked on 11 July, killing one seafarer. Sinokor is linked to at least five vessels on the list, while Saudi shipping group Bahri is linked to three.
Qatar’s Nakilat, Stolt-Nielsen, Klaveness Combination Carriers, Shipping Corporation of India, Dynacom and GasLog also have vessels named. The blacklist adds another layer of uncertainty for shipowners and charterers navigating an increasingly volatile Strait, where vessel attacks, sanctions and competing routing requirements are disrupting commercial traffic.