The United States has imposed sanctions on a body that Iran formed to control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported, citing a statement from the US Treasury Department, BTA reports.
The Islamic Republic announced on April 15 that it was officially creating a new structure called the Persian Gulf Strait Authority.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps closed the strategically important sea route, through which about 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass, on February 28, after Israel and the United States attacked The Islamic Republic.
A statement released by the US Treasury Department on Wednesday said anyone who cooperates with the Gulf Control Authority could face US sanctions.
"The Iranian military's latest attempt to blackmail global maritime trade is evidence that the "Economic Fury" initiative has left the regime in desperate need of cash," US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant said.
The Gulf Control Authority last week released a map confirming Tehran's claim over a wide swath of the strategic seaway.