Iran Passes New Penalties For Cargo Ships Violating Transit Regulations In Strait Of Hormuz

Iran would impose penalties on commercial ships that violate its transit rules in the Strait of Hormuz, including detention or confiscation of part of their cargo.

The National Security and Foreign Policy Commission has passed articles 13, 14 and 15 of the ‘Strategic Action to Ensure Security and Development of the Strait of Hormuz’ Bill. The passed regulations extend Iran’s legal sovereignty over Hormuz.

According to Iranian media, the spokesperson of the commission, Hassan Ghashghavi, said that, as per the provisions of Article 13, along with penalties mentioned in Article 5 of the Islamic Penal Code (IPC), to seize 20% of the cargo or ge its equal financial value. The ship could also face detention in Iran until all fines are paid.

Special Courts would be established with judges specialising in maritime law and international law of the sea to oversee these cases. They will be accountable to Iran’s General Staff of Armed Forces, who would also ensure the proper implementation of the laws.

Under Article 14, if any Iranian judge or lawyer’s actions lead to failure or delays in the implementation of these regulations, they would be subject to punishments coming under Grade 5 in Article 19 of the IPC.

Article 15 states that the Military, through the Defence Ministry, would present reports to the Commission on each case handled or dealt with, every 3 months for transparency and accountability.

The proposed bill is yet to become law and will be finalised when it is sent to the Iranian Parliament for voting and then to the Constitutional Council.

Amidst this backdrop, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke at the UN General Assembly Meeting, where he talked about American naval escorts through Hormuz to ensure the supply of oil to world markets, despite Iran’s closure of the waterway, which handles one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas.

He thanked the UN Security Council for its vote against Iranian actions on commercial ships in Hormuz and added that the U.S. Navy escorted over a billion barrels of oil out of the Strait every single night.

He also warned that the U.S. might take military measures against Iran if a peace agreement to end the war is not reached. Once he began to speak about his plans regarding Tehran, the Iranian delegation walked out in protest while only a low-ranking staff member stayed back.