SOURCE: OFAC FAQ 1249 — Are 'toll' payments to Iran for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz authorized? URL: https://ofac.treasury.gov/faqs/1249 Accessed: 16 September 2026 (re-fetched) 1249 | Office of Foreign Assets Control Skip to main content An official website of the United States government Here’s how you know Here’s how you know The .gov means it’s official. Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site. The site is secure. The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely. 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Is receiving guarantees or services from Iran for or related to safe passage authorized, even when no payment is made? Answer No. Payments to and guarantees from the Government of Iran or the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), directly or indirectly, for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz would not be authorized for U.S. persons, including U.S. financial institutions, or for U.S.-owned or -controlled foreign entities. Regardless of whether a payment is made, U.S. persons are prohibited from receiving services from the Government of Iran, including services related to a guarantee of safe passage. For additional guidance, please see " OFAC Alert: Sanctions Risks of Iranian Demands for Strait of Hormuz Passage ." Iran created a new entity, the so-called Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA), to collect tolls and extort vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz. On May 27, OFAC designated PGSA pursuant to our counterterrorism authorities, for having materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, or technological support for, or goods or services to or in support of, the IRGC. Cooperating with or engaging in direct or indirect transactions or dealings, including the receipt of services from the PGSA, carries sanctions risk. Payments or services for or related to safe passage also create significant sanctions exposure for non-U.S. persons. Specifically, foreign financial institutions and other non-U.S. persons risk exposure to sanctions for engaging in certain transactions or activities involving designated or otherwise blocked persons. This includes the Government of Iran and the IRGC, which is designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and sanctioned pursuant to several authorities, including nonproliferation and counterterrorism sanctions authorities. Foreign persons that are engaged in certain transactions could also risk sanctions exposure under authorities such as Executive Order 13902 , which authorizes sanctions on, among others, persons who have knowingly engaged in certain significant transactions involving determined sectors of the Iranian economy or who have been determined to operate in those sectors, including the financial and petroleum and petrochemical sectors. Updated Date: May 29, 2026 Date Released April 28, 2026 Similar FAQs 692. Will the provision of bunkering services for an Iranian vessel be subject to sanctions? 296. Will the provision of bunkering services to a non-Iranian vessel carrying non-sanctionable goods to or from Iran be subject to sanctions? 831. How will OFAC define the sectors of the Iranian economy specified in Executive Order (E.O.) 13902 of January 10, 2020? 805. Are non-U.S. persons exposed to sanctions for providing goods or services to, or engaging in other transactions with, a non-Iranian person sanctioned under section 3 of E.O. 13846? 830. Will OFAC target Iranian manufacturers of medicines, medical devices, or products used for sanitation or hygiene or as personal protective equipment for use in Iran pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13902 for continuing to manufacture these items?  Will OFAC target persons conducting or facilitating transactions for the provision of such items to Iran if the transaction involves a person sanctioned under E.O. 13902?  1257. Are non-U.S. persons exposed to sanctions for dealing with digital asset exchanges designated pursuant to Executive Order 13902, "Imposing Sanctions with Respect to Additional Sectors of Iran" (E.O. 13902)? 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