Iran Tightens Grip on Strait of Hormuz, Formally Announces New Management Authority

Key News on US-Iran War (Central News Agency, Tehran, 18th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) Iran's top security body announced today the establishment of a new agency responsible for managing the Strait of Hormuz. It is currently unclear what the agency will do, but Iranian authorities have already effectively blockaded the waterway and hope to charge fees to passing ships. Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that Iran's Supreme National Security Council shared a post from the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) on its official X social media account, stating that the agency will provide 'real-time updates on operations and the latest developments in the Strait of Hormuz.' The account of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards' navy also shared the same post. It is not yet clear what this new agency will do, but Iran's English-language channel 'Press TV' reported earlier this month that it constitutes a 'system for exercising sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz' and that ships passing through the strait will receive 'regulations' from [email protected]. Since the US, in collaboration with Israel, initiated a war against Iran on February 28, Iran has effectively blockaded this vital waterway. The warring parties have maintained a fragile ceasefire since April 8. Iran's tightening grip on the strait has shaken global markets and given Iran significant negotiating leverage. Meanwhile, the US Navy has also been implementing a blockade of various Iranian ports. (Translation: Yang Chao-yen)