Published : 26 Aug 2026, 10:44 PM
Updated : 08 Sep 2026, 09:36 AM
Iran has restricted the passage of at least one vessel owned and operated by Indian-based entities through the Strait of Hormuz, placing it among 45 vessels it has accused of violating its rules for transit through the strategic waterway.
The bulk carrier Maha Roos has been added to the Persian Gulf Strait Authority's (PGSA) list of "non-compliant" vessels for allegedly breaching "Iranian protocols" governing passage through the strait, NDTV reports.
An analysis of ownership and management records found that, besides vessels directly linked to India, some other blacklisted ships have previously carried cargo, particularly energy products, to India.
Most vessels on the list are linked to entities based in the United Arab Emirates, while others have connections to Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Malta and Singapore.
A Pakistan-flagged crude oil tanker Mardan is also on the list.
"In light of violations by certain vessels of the Iranian arrangements for transiting the Strait of Hormuz, these vessels will face restrictions in their future transits through the Strait of Hormuz, such as fines, seizure, or confiscation," PGSA said in a post on X.
The Iranian agency also warned that vessels cooperating with those on the list could themselves be added. It said vessels seeking removal from the list must submit a formal application with supporting justifications.
Most Blacklisted Ships Already Attacked
Since the conflict began in late February, Iran has sought to impose its own shipping corridor through the Strait of Hormuz in an effort to control traffic through the strategic chokepoint.
The waterway had been open before the war and was governed by international maritime law, but some vessels have continued using routes that Iran has not approved.
An AFP analysis of data found that at least 14 of the 45 vessels on Iran's list have already been damaged in incidents in or around the strait confirmed by the International Maritime Organisation.
Those incidents were classified as attacks by Britain's maritime security agency UKMTO, which does not identify those responsible.
Almost all occurred off Oman's coast, along a route backed by the United States and prohibited by Iran.
According to an AFP analysis of Kpler maritime tracking data, 39 of the 45 vessels are commodity carriers that have crossed the strait at least once since early March.
Some have made as many as 12 crossings, including the tanker Al Bahyah, whose crew suffered one fatality in an incident in July.
Kpler data shows more than 170 voyages by the listed commodity carriers over the period. About 75 had the United Arab Emirates as their next port of destination, while around 70 had made their last loading stop there.
At least one-third of the vessels on Iran's list are also owned by UAE-based companies, according to Kpler data.
