Iran Blacklists 45 Ships Amid Hormuz Tensions

Iran Names 45 Vessels in First-Ever Non-Compliance List

Iran’s self-declared Persian Gulf Strait Authority has issued its first blacklist of vessels it deems non-compliant with its rules for transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by The Maritime Executive. The list, released on a Sunday, names 45 ships and warns that owners and operators face restrictions on future passages, including fines, detention, or outright confiscation of vessels.

The move comes as a direct response to U.S. threats of what officials have called an “economic D-Day” against Iran, and follows a marked rise in Iranian state messaging focused on the Strait. Iranian authorities allege the blacklisted ships committed “violations” of the country’s transit arrangements.

Major Gulf and International Operators Named

The list is notable for including vessels tied to some of the region’s largest players: the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), AD Ports Group, Saudi Arabia’s Bahri, and Qatar’s Nakilat all appear, alongside international owners such as South Korea’s Sinokor. Iran has also extended its threat to any company or vessel that works with a blacklisted ship, effectively widening the net beyond the named 45.

Analysts following the situation suggest Iran is specifically targeting the shuttle tanker operations and ship-to-ship transfer activity that have expanded outside the Gulf as risk-averse operators try to avoid the Strait of Hormuz altogether. The Strait Authority has instructed shipping companies to check the non-compliance list before chartering any vessel.

Sanctions Rhetoric Escalates on Both Sides

The blacklist arrives against a backdrop of sharpening rhetoric. U.S. President Donald Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have pledged sweeping new sanctions intended to cut off Iran’s economic lifelines entirely, with threats extending to any nation that continues trading with Tehran. Iran has labeled this “economic terrorism.” Iran’s top security official, Mohsen Rezaei, warned that if the economic pressure continues, no oil would move through the Strait of Hormuz or anywhere in the Persian Gulf.

Meanwhile, an IRGC spokesperson dismissed U.S. estimates that 7 to 15 million barrels of oil pass through Hormuz daily as unrealistic, while pointing to newly approved parliamentary rules allowing Iran to charge fees for navigation, environmental protection, fuel supply, insurance, safety, and other services in the Strait.

Traffic Data Paints a Mixed Picture

Shipping data firm Kpler reported that Hormuz crossings rose 2.5 percent to 121 transits last week, even as laden transits fell 27 percent and sanctioned crossings climbed from 9 to 16. Roughly half of the vessels transiting were tankers, with a quarter specifically crude carriers. U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright maintained that the seven-day average of oil leaving the Strait remained above 8 million barrels a day, yet by the following Monday, Kpler was reporting fewer than 20 commercial vessels had crossed over the weekend, with just four transiting on Sunday alone.

Iran also claimed an unnamed container ship had slipped past a reported U.S. blockade to dock at an Iranian port. U.S. Central Command disputed any breach, stating that as of August 23, it had redirected 70 vessels, disabled three, and boarded two to enforce compliance.

What This Means for Owners and Charterers

For ship operators and technical managers, this blacklist adds another layer of legal and commercial risk to an already volatile transit corridor. Vessels named — or those trading with named vessels — face a genuine threat of detention or confiscation, regardless of whether the underlying claims of “violations” are verifiable or transparent. Charterers reviewing fixtures involving Gulf crude or shuttle tanker operations should treat Iran’s compliance list as a live commercial risk factor, not a symbolic gesture, particularly given Tehran’s stated intent to pursue companies connected to blacklisted ships as well as the vessels themselves.

This uncertainty also raises the practical value of independent, well-documented vessel condition and cargo surveys before and after Hormuz transits. With detention, inspection, and confiscation risks rising sharply, owners and charterers alike have a stronger incentive to maintain clear, third-party-verified records of a vessel’s condition, cargo quantities, and bunker stocks at each stage of a voyage — documentation that can prove decisive if a vessel is stopped, boarded, or disputed en route.

Reviewed by Ibrahim Halil Ceylan, Marine Surveyor at Apeks Marine.