Korean vessel among those blacklisted by Iran for violating its rules in Hormuz Strait

Iran has announced the blacklisting of 45 vessels, including a Korean oil tanker, for violating the strait's trade regulations as tensions with the US escalate. The Persian Gulf Strait Authority, Iran's newly established agency managing the strait, issued the list via X. The Korean ship, operated by Sinokor Merchant Marine, is the only one from South Korea on the list.

Other ships on the blacklist are registered in Norway, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The authority warned that any vessel transferring with these ships would also be added to the list. Removal from the blacklist would necessitate a request with a logical explanation. The specific regulations the blacklisted ships allegedly breached were not disclosed.

This comes amid heightened tension in the strait following the US announcement of new sanctions against Iran. The US President has claimed the strait as "American territory." US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright stated that around 8 million barrels of crude oil are transported daily through the strait, emphasizing the US Navy's role in maintaining the flow.