Iran imposes new rules for Hormuz in effort to cement control of key waterway

Key Points:

• Iran has introduced a new "Vessel Information Declaration" protocol through its Persian Gulf Strait Authority, requiring all vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to submit detailed information or risk attack, asserting control over the strategic waterway despite US warnings.
• The protocol demands extensive vessel and crew details and may involve fees reportedly up to $2 million per passage, though such payments could trigger US sanctions for American or US-affiliated entities.
• Iran's Supreme Leader envisions using control over the strait as leverage to establish a new regional order free of foreign influence, highlighting the strait's critical role in global oil and liquefied natural gas supply.
• The US continues its naval blockade of Iranian ports and has briefly initiated and paused a project to assist vessels through the strait, while maritime traffic has sharply declined, with only 40 ships crossing in one week compared to a pre-war daily average of 120.
• Analysts warn that sustained Iranian control could halve the strait's transit capacity, causing significant disruptions to global energy markets, though the US publicly rejects Iranian dominance of the chokepoint.