The United States has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions if they pay Iran for guarantees of safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. The Office of Foreign Assets Control issued an alert Friday saying payments in cash, digital assets, informal swaps or even charitable donations could trigger penalties. This warning comes as the U.S. Has imposed a naval blockade, and the U.S. Central Command says 45 commercial ships have been told to turn back since that blockade began. The move raises trade and legal risks for carriers that operate on one of the world’s busiest oil and gas routes.

What Washington said

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, known as OFAC, published an alert to flag the risks of paying the Iranian regime for safe passage. OFAC said the risks exist regardless of payment method. It listed examples such as transfers in cash, digital assets, offsets, informal swaps and other in-kind payments. The advisory even named charitable donations and payments at Iranian embassies as potential triggers for sanctions.

"OFAC is issuing this alert to warn U.S. And non-U.S. Persons about the sanctions risks of making these payments to, or soliciting guarantees from, the Iranian regime for safe passage," the agency said.

The notice expands the tools the United States is using in the current confrontation with Iran. It doesn't offer exemptions for companies that say they're paying to protect crews and cargo. The language makes legal exposure broad. That leaves shipping firms weighing safety on the water against possible penalties on land.

How Iran is collecting tolls

The advisory follows months of Iranian moves that have effectively closed the strait to normal traffic, according to the U.S. Account. The source says Iran attacked and threatened vessels after a conflict began on Feb. 28. Iranian authorities then offered what they described as safe passage by routing some ships nearer to their shoreline.

At times Iran has charged fees for that service.

Those arrangements are now the focus of Washington’s warning. OFAC aims to stop payments that would funnel money to Tehran while excluding any implied protection for the ships. The advisory stresses that payments don't have to be traditional bank transfers to fall foul of U.S. Sanctions.

Military moves and the blockade

The United States responded to Iran’s moves with a naval blockade on April 13. The blockade includes restrictions on Iranian tankers leaving port. This U.S. Central Command reported that 45 commercial ships have been told to turn around since the blockade began. That figure underlines the disruption to normal maritime traffic at the mouth of the Persian Gulf.

Mastheads

At the same time, international aid agencies and the United Nations have warned that the disruption is choking off vital humanitarian shipments. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has pleaded for an end to the blockade so aid can move. The conflict’s spillover now affects commercial and humanitarian flows alike.

Political signalling and diplomacy

The OFAC alert arrived as diplomatic activity continued. Iran reportedly handed a plan to mediators in Pakistan, according to the state-run IRNA news agency. U.S. President Donald Trump said he rejected that proposal, calling Iran’s leadership "disjointed" and saying, "They want to make a deal, I'm not satisfied with it, so we'll see what happens." He added, "They all want to make a deal, but they're all messed up."

The comments illustrate the gap between the two sides. A shaky three-week ceasefire appeared to hold even as both sides accused the other of violations. The sanctions advisory increases pressure on the Iranian government by targeting the financial flows tied to its control of the strait. It also raises the stakes for third-party companies that operate in the area.

The Strait of Hormuz is a choke point. About a fifth of the world’s trade in oil and natural gas normally moves through the strait in peacetime. Disruption there can push freight rates higher. It can also prompt longer, costlier detours for energy and commercial shipments.

Shipping companies now face two dilemmas. One is safety: crews may feel they need guarantees to transit waters where Iranian forces are active. The other is legal exposure to U.S. Sanctions if payments or arrangements benefit the Iranian regime. The OFAC alert suggests that even non-cash arrangements may be treated as sanctionable acts.

Those twin pressures can alter commercial calculations. Insurers may change premiums or coverage terms. Charterers and owners will weigh route risk against legal risk. The result could be slower transits, higher costs for energy imports and exports, and a reshuffle of shipping patterns where possible.

Global energy markets watch the strait closely because of its oversized role in oil and gas flows. When transit is restricted, markets often react with price volatility. The advisory from OFAC doesn't directly set tariffs or trade rules, but it narrows the options for market participants trying to operate through the area. Traders and logistics planners must factor in added costs and legal compliance checks.

For countries that import oil and gas passing through Hormuz, delays or detours can mean higher import bills. Shipping delays can also ripple into supply chains for goods carried on tankers and other vessels. The combined effect is both immediate, in added transit costs, and structural, in how companies choose routes and counterparties.

OFAC’s alert will force shipping firms and related financial institutions to revisit compliance checks. Legal teams will need to examine payment channels, contracts and any indirect benefits to parties tied to Iran. The advisory’s explicit mention of informal swaps and charitable donations broadens the scope. That could make routine commercial accommodations riskier.

For non-U.S. Firms, the exposure is still material. OFAC statements often affect any company that uses dollar clearing or has ties to U.S. Financial systems. The advisory warns "U.S. And non-U.S. Persons" about the sanctions risks. That signals Washington’s intent to reach beyond national borders when it believes financial support is heading to Tehran.

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OFAC’s warning that even cash, digital assets or charitable donations could trigger penalties, and U.S. Central Command’s report that 45 commercial ships were turned back, show the blockade’s disruption of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

This article was created with AI assistance.