EU Sanctions Iranian Officials Over Strait of Hormuz Restrictions

The Council of the European Union imposed sanctions on June 8, 2026, targeting two Iranian individuals and a unit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for restricting maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. The measures target the IRGC Navy's Hormozgan Provincial Command, Mohammad Akbarzadeh, the IRGC Navy's deputy commander for political affairs, and Hamid Hosseini, a representative of Iran’s Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters’ Union.

The sanctions include asset freezes and travel bans. EU officials stated that the Hormozgan Provincial Command established a toll system requiring vessel documentation and cargo information to determine transit permissions. These restrictions follow Iran's decision to close the strait after U.S.-Israeli strikes began on February 28.

This action marks the first application of the EU's freedom of navigation regime, which was established on May 22 to address threats to maritime transit in the Middle East. High Representative Kaja Kallas condemned the restrictions as unacceptable and noted that the regime would be applied again if necessary.