The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) under the US Department of the Treasury issued a guidance document on the 28th, stating that US individuals or entities are prohibited from paying Iran for safe passage fees through the Strait of Hormuz.
The document states that US persons, US financial institutions, and foreign entities owned or controlled by US persons are prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying the Iranian government or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps any safe passage fees for the Strait of Hormuz.
OFAC noted that non-US persons or entities paying such fees to Iranian parties also face significant sanctions risk.
Because the Iranian government and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps are subject to US sanctions related to non-proliferation and counterterrorism, foreign financial institutions and other non-US persons or entities engaging in certain transactions or activities with sanctioned parties may face sanctions risks. Transactions involving certain sectors of Iran’s economy may also expose foreign individuals or entities to sanctions risks.
On the same day, OFAC also added 17 foreign individuals and 18 foreign entities to its Iran-related sanctions list.