Iran announces new regulatory body to manage Strait of Hormuz operations
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Iran announces new regulatory body to manage Strait of Hormuz operations")
A woman holds the Iranian flag as she stands infront of an anti-US billboard referring to President Donald Trump and the Strait of Hormuz, installed on a building at the Valiasr Square in Tehran on May 10, 2026. Photograph: (AFP (File Photo)
Tehran said the new authority will issue operational updates and provide information on developments related to the strategic waterway.
Iran’s top security body on Monday (May 18) announced the formation of a new authority to manage the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route that Tehran has effectively tightened control over and plans to regulate through a new fee-based system.
The Supreme National Security Council, in a post on its official X account, said the newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) would provide “real-time updates on the #Hormuz_Strait operations and latest developments.”
The same announcement was also shared by the account of the Revolutionary Guards’ navy, further highlighting coordination between Iran’s security institutions.
However, it was not immediately clear what specific powers the new body would hold.
Earlier this month, Iranian English-language broadcaster Press TV said the mechanism was designed as a “system to exercise sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz”, adding that vessels passing through the waterway were being issued “regulations” via the email info@pgsa.ir.
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According to reports, Iran has significantly restricted shipping through the strategic route since the outbreak of war with the United States and Israel on February 28, with a fragile ceasefire in place since April 8.
The developments have heightened global concern, as Iran’s control over the strait has given it major leverage in energy markets, while the United States has also maintained a naval presence around Iranian ports.
The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, handling around one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, along with other key commodities such as fertiliser.
Since the conflict began, Iran has maintained that maritime traffic through the strait will “not return to its pre-war status” and recently claimed it had already collected its first revenue from tolls imposed on the passage.
On Saturday, Ebrahim Azizi, head of the Iranian parliament’s national security commission, said Iran “has prepared a professional mechanism to manage traffic” through the strait, adding that it will be “unveiled soon”.
