Iran’s parliament advanced a 12-article law asserting sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, enabling the country to charge vessels for environmental and security services, Iranian state media reported on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
The National Security and Foreign Policy Committee ratified the measure, which now heads for a full parliamentary vote. The law codifies Iran’s wartime blockade practices into permanent legal authority, integrating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in enforcement.
The framework allows Iran to impose tolls of up to $2 million per tanker, restrict vessels by nationality and seize up to 20% of cargo for violations. Ships must coordinate passage with Iranian authorities and comply with Persian Gulf terminology requirements.
The US Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) warned in FAQ 1249 that US persons and financial institutions may not make payments to Iran or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and that foreign entities could face secondary sanctions for facilitating such payments
The United States and its Gulf allies have drafted a United Nations Security Council resolution to counter Iranian interference in the Strait of Hormuz. The proposal targets illegal toll collection and the use of sea mines. Legal experts stress that, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Iran cannot unilaterally change transit rights for all vessels in the waterway.
The law represents a permanent shift in control of a waterway that handles roughly 20% of global oil shipments, creating legal and operational risks for maritime operators and potential upward pressure on oil prices.
