The United States has formally warned shipping and trading companies of sanctions risks if they make any payments to Iran for transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Reuters and BBC report that the warning was issued by OFAC, the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

According to the U.S. side, sanctions exposure may apply not only to direct payments, but also to alternative forms of transfer, including fiat currency, digital assets, donations to the Iranian Red Crescent, transfers to Iranian embassy accounts, or other indirect contributions linked to vessel passage.

In practice, Washington is signaling that any attempt to structure a “safe passage fee” in any form could be treated as sanctions-relevant conduct. This increases pressure on shippers, shipowners, and logistics operators involved in Gulf trade flows.

For the logistics market, this adds another layer of uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz. Even if the route remains formally open, any payment connected to transit now carries not only operational, but also direct sanctions risk.