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Sanctions Risks of Iranian Demands for Strait of Hormuz Passage
May 1, 2026
The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) is aware of Iranian threats to shipping and demands for “toll” payments to receive safe passage through the international Strait of Hormuz. These demands may include several payment options, including fiat currency, digital assets, offsets, informal swaps, or other in-kind payments, such as nominally charitable donations made to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, Bonyad Mostazafan, or Iranian embassy accounts. 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. These risks exist regardless of payment method.
U.S. persons and U.S.-owned or -controlled foreign entities are generally prohibited under U.S. sanctions from engaging in transactions with the Government of Iran, including the...
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1) This alert compliments FAQ # 1249 (“toll” payments to IRGC are prohibited and sanctionable) by suggesting that all manner of “toll” payments are prohibited and sanctionable (including “nominally charitable donations made to the Iranian Red Crescent Society”) and explicitly noting the risk of “causing” violations that such payments may entail. The alert also targets “calling at Iranian ports” generally. This appears to be OFAC’s first broad statement suggesting that merely calling at an Iranian port is sanctionable. Presumably this is only the case insofar as the port call is not authorized pursuant to a license (see FAQ # 7).