Iran Threatens Legal Action Against All Sinokor Ships From November 1
Key Facts
Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority announced that all Sinokor vessels will face legal action from November 1, 2026, a threat that puts the largest crude carrier through the strait at risk of new transit restrictions. Insurance Journal, citing Bloomberg, reported that the authority linked the announcement to what it said was the company’s record of transit violations. The authority did not specify the nature of the legal action or how it would be enforced. The announcement follows measures the authority said it had already taken against several Sinokor vessels. The company did not immediately respond to a request for comment, Insurance Journal reported.
The authority said Sinokor vessels recorded the highest number of transit violations in the three months before the announcement. It added that what it described as appropriate enforcement measures had been taken against at least 7 vessels as of October 27, 2026. But it did not disclose the nature of those measures, leaving details of what the vessels faced unpublished. The new action, meanwhile, covers all of the company’s vessels and begins on a specific date, November 1. The announcement distinguishes the record of previous measures from the coming legal threat, as the authority did not say whether the two measures would be of the same nature.
The threat carries particular weight because of Sinokor’s role in oil flows through Hormuz: Bloomberg said the company’s vessels carried about 40% of all crude that left through the strait in the month before publication. That share was larger than the combined share of the next three companies, according to the same report. This means implementation of the announced measure could affect a company with a significant presence in crude flows through the route. Bloomberg noted that oil transits had risen steadily after the strait was largely closed following the outbreak of war. It also said most observers believe total shipments from the Middle East are now close to prewar levels.
Previous reports on shipping in the strait place the announcement against a backdrop of disruption to vessel traffic. The Associated Press reported that Iran said 7 tankers were damaged or hit during a single night in the strait, amid concerns that war could resume. The agency said tankers continued to carry oil at night from Gulf producers, using a route near Oman’s coast that it said was protected by the United States. It reported that operators of those tankers turned off positioning systems and phones during the voyage. The agency also said spot tanker charter rates for crossing Hormuz reached 1 million dollars a day on September 11, 2026, equivalent to about 26 dollars a barrel, according to data from Windward.
The current announcement follows a report published by EL7 on October 20, 2026, that the list of non-compliant vessels in Hormuz had reached 122 ships, according to an Iranian announcement. On a parallel diplomatic track, the Associated Press said Iran had told Pakistan it was ready to reopen the strait if Washington lifted its naval blockade. The agency noted that the agreement brokered by Pakistan in June 2026 aimed to restore navigation through the strait and begin broader negotiations. The authority’s announcement sets November 1, 2026, as the start date for action against Sinokor vessels. The available information included no further details about the nature of the action or the company’s response.