Iran officially announces new body to manage Strait of Hormuz: top security council

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com

TEHRAN:  Iran’s top security council has officially announced the formation of a new specialized body to manage the Strait of Hormuz, institutionalizing Tehran's control over the vital shipping lane which it has effectively closed to standard transit while attempting to levy tolls on passing vessels.

The Supreme National Security Council, alongside the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy, publicly unveiled the newly formed Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) on Monday, stating that the regulatory body will provide real-time operational updates and enforce a strict new maritime framework. 

State media and state broadcasters confirmed that the PGSA serves as an official ‘system to exercise sovereignty’ over the critical waterway, dispatching mandatory regulatory protocols directly to commercial vessels seeking entry.

This major institutional shift solidifies a dramatic maritime policy change that began when Iran blocked international shipping through the choke point following the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel on February 28.

Despite a fragile ceasefire being maintained since April 8, Iranian officials have adamantly declared that commercial traffic through the strait will not return to its pre-war status, using their defensive leverage to extract revenue via toll collections.

The creation of the PGSA marks a permanent geopolitical pivot in one of the world's most critical economic corridors. In peacetime, the narrow strait accommodates roughly twenty percent of the global supply of oil and liquefied natural gas, alongside massive global fertilizer shipments. 

By establishing a formal administrative authority, Tehran aims to permanently institutionalize its wartime dominance over regional commerce, directly challenging the ongoing U.S. naval counter-blockade on Iranian ports and introducing long-term volatility into global energy markets.