Iran Threatens Fines and Seizures for 45 Tankers in Hormuz Amid Trump's 'New US Territory' Claim as Tensions Escalate

Iran has blacklisted 45 tankers accused of violating its rules for crossing the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the vessels could face fines, detention or confiscation of their cargo. The move, announced by Iran's newly established Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) in a post on X, marks a further escalation in Tehran's efforts to regulate traffic through one of the world's most important shipping lanes.

The warning comes just days after US President Donald Trump reiterated his claim that the strait should be treated as 'new US territory', reigniting a war of words between Washington and Tehran that shows no sign of cooling.

Iran Blacklists 45 Tankers as US Territorial Claim Escalates

The PGSA, a body Iran set up to manage the strait, said vessels violating its transit arrangements could face restrictions on future passages, including fines, detention or confiscation. The list runs to 45 tankers, including very large crude carriers, LNG and LPG vessels, and clean product ships.

Some of the named vessels are linked to firms in the United Arab Emirates, including ADNOC Logistics & Services and Navig8 Tankers, as well as Saudi Arabia's national carrier Bahri. ADNOC L&S acquired an 80 per cent stake in Navig8, with the remaining 20 per cent due to be acquired in 2027, while Iran also warned that any ship carrying out ship-to-ship transfers with a blacklisted vessel could face similar action.

The blacklist follows months of sharply reduced traffic through the strait. Shipping data cited by Reuters showed fewer than 20 commodity vessels transited Hormuz over the weekend, with just four crossing on Sunday and 13 on Saturday.

The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported that AIS-tracked transits were running roughly 90 per cent below pre-conflict levels in the week to 21 August, reflecting the sharp disruption to shipping through the waterway. The decline comes amid the wider conflict and heightened security risks that have prompted many operators to reconsider voyages through the strait.

Trump Declares Strait 'New US Territory' as Iran Counterpunches

Iran's latest threat comes as Trump continues to press his claim over the waterway. Trump posted a map on Truth Social labelling the Strait of Hormuz 'NEW U.S. TERRITORY', while telling reporters at an Oval Office event that Washington already effectively controlled it through its naval blockade.

'We control it with the blockade, and I like the idea of declaring it a territory,' Trump told reporters. He said Iran could still mine the waters and that commercial operators did not want mines striking their ships.

Separately, Trump wrote on Truth Social that 'the Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect' and confirmed that no talks with Iran were underway.

The claim has not gone unanswered in Tehran. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, vowed to resist the economic pressure from Washington and threatened to halt oil exports through the Gulf if the economic war continued.

'If the economic war continues, not a single drop of oil will be exported, neither through the Strait of Hormuz nor from anywhere in the Arabian Gulf,' Rezaei said in a social media post. The warning adds to concerns that Tehran could seek to use the strategically important waterway as leverage against Washington.

The blacklist was issued as the US moved ahead with a new round of sanctions aimed at increasing economic pressure on Iran. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced a new round of sanctions and warned of broader secondary sanctions on Monday, targeting Iran's financial connections and sectors including digital assets, gold, technology, aviation and shipping.

The Strait of Hormuz has historically carried about a fifth of global petroleum liquids consumption, while roughly a fifth of global LNG trade has also passed through the waterway, according to the US Energy Information Administration. With traffic severely constrained and Iran threatening named tankers with fines, detention or cargo confiscation, shipowners and insurers face growing uncertainty over routing cargo through the waterway.

A further escalation, whether through Iran's blacklist enforcement, the US blockade or additional sanctions, could tighten energy supplies and increase pressure on global markets. Oil prices have already been volatile during the conflict, although crude prices fell on Monday after investors weighed the latest US sanctions against hopes that the measures could help ease tensions.