Iran expands its Hormuz “blacklist” to 81 vessels and threatens owners — warning shots fired at 7 foreign ships

Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has expanded its non-compliance list to 81 vessels, adding four new entries, as maritime trade publication The DeepDraft reports, citing maritime sources. Among the newly added vessels are the giant tankers ALGERIA PROSPERITY and OCEAN LOYALTY, the cargo ship ANNA-META and SILVER SHINE, linked to the Saudi company Bahri.

But the tougher move is the warning aimed directly at vessel owners and companies: the PGSA threatens that those who order captains to transit Hormuz without completing Iranian declaration, approval and transit procedures could themselves be placed on the blacklist — with transit restrictions for their ships. Vessels on the list risk fines, detention or seizure in the future, according to the Iranian authority.

In parallel, reports from Iranian state-affiliated media, citing the Fars agency, say Iranian naval forces fired warning shots at seven foreign vessels that had ignored radio warnings and attempted to use unauthorized routes through the strait. According to the same reports, 12 other vessels were “engaged” in similar circumstances the previous night — claims that have not been independently confirmed.

The development creates a direct conflict of orders for the shipping industry: the U.S. Treasury has designated the PGSA a sanctioned organization and warned that cooperating with it — including providing information or payments for strait transits — could bring exposure to U.S. sanctions.

Meanwhile, Kpler data shows Middle East oil exports have recovered to around 12.8 million barrels per day in September — the highest level since the start of the U.S.-Iran war in February — with about 7.4 million barrels per day transiting Hormuz, as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates ramp up shipments. Still, the flow remains about 6 million barrels per day below the pre-war level of 18.8 million, showing that the physical recovery is happening in parallel with Tehran’s tightening control over the strait.