The tankers on the list included one belonging to Sinokor Merchant Marine, Korea’s third-largest shipping company
Ships sit in the water near Oman’s Musandam, close to the Strait of Hormuz, on Aug. 24, 2026. (Reuters/Yonhap)
Iran has threatened to detain and seize the cargo of 45 oil tankers, including one Korean ship, for violating its rules for the Strait of Hormuz amid escalating tension with the US, which announced a slew of new sanctions against Tehran. The Persian Gulf Strait Authority, a newly launched agency of the Iranian government to manage the strait, said on Sunday via X that it had blacklisted 45 vessels for violating the strait’s trade regulations, warning that those on the list could face fines, detention or cargo seizure.The tankers on the list included one belonging to Sinokor Merchant Marine, Korea’s third-largest shipping company. Others named were registered in Norway, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.The authority warned that other vessels doing transfers with such ships would be added to the list and that removal from the blacklist would require a request with a rational explanation.The regulations the blacklisted ships allegedly violated were not mentioned. Reuters said this was interpreted as referring to the Iranian government’s previous statement that vessels passing through the strait require approval and payment of transit fees.This warning comes amid resurging tension surrounding the strait after the US announced punishing sanctions on a defiant Iran. US President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed Hormuz as “American territory.”US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright on Saturday wrote on X that 8 million barrels of crude oil are being transported daily through the strait. “Make no mistake, thanks to the U.S. Navy, oil is flowing through the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote. By Lee Bon-young, senior staff writerPlease direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
