The Council approved restrictive measures against two individuals and one entity for supporting Iran’s actions that undermine freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

The sanctions target Mohammad Akbarzadeh, Deputy Commander for Political Affairs of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN); Hamid Hosseini, a representative of Iran’s Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union and a member of Iran’s Chamber of Commerce; and the Hormozgan Provincial Command of the IRGCN.

According to the EU, the IRGCN Navy has assumed control of the Strait of Hormuz and implemented a toll system whereby vessels are now required to provide identifying documentation, as well as cargo and destination information ultimately passed onto the Hormozgan Provincial Command. Using this information, the Hormozgan Provincial Command screens vessels and determines which ones are allowed to transit through the strait, sometimes after paying tolls.

View the relevant Press Release here