US Treasury sanctions Iran authorities overseeing Strait of Hormuz

WASHINGTON, United States, May 31 (AFP): The United States Treasury announced sanctions Wednesday against Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority, Tehran's new agency that collects fees for traveling through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
"The Iranian military's latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash," said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in a statement.
The statement extended the threat of sanctions to anyone paying the fees, because they "may be providing support to and receiving services from" Iran's Revolutionary Guards, and therefore may "be exposed to sanctions risk."
"Treasury has deprived the Iranian regime of revenue for their weapons programs, terrorist proxies, and nuclear ambitions," Bessent said.
The statement said the US has succeeded in disrupting "tens of billions of dollars' worth of revenue from being accessible" to Tehran.