Iran Expands Strait of Hormuz Blacklist and Seizes Smuggled Fuel Vessel Amid Regional Escalation

Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has added 11 more vessels to its Non-Compliant Vessels (NCV) blacklist over alleged 'non-compliance' with Iranian protocols, bringing the total number of barred ships to 56. The move coincides with heightened regional tensions, US escalation, and an intensified crackdown on fuel smuggling that saw Iranian border guards seize a ship carrying 382,000 litres of smuggled diesel and arrest its 11-member foreign crew in the northern Gulf.

// Background

The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) is a regulatory body established by Iran's Supreme National Security Council on May 18, 2026, to monitor and govern maritime traffic through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has increasingly used this mechanism to implement blacklists over alleged non-compliance, impacting dozens of tankers and cargo vessels amid broader geopolitical tensions with the United States.

// Key Developments

• Iran's PGSA added 11 more vessels to its Hormuz blacklist, raising the total barred ships to 56.
• Iranian border guards seized a vessel carrying 382,000 litres of smuggled diesel in the northern Gulf.
• An 11-member foreign crew was arrested during the fuel smuggling crackdown.
• The PGSA warned that any vessel cooperating with blacklisted ships via ship-to-ship transfers or transhipment will also face blacklisting.
• Blacklisted vessels face potential fines, detention, or confiscation by Iranian authorities.