EU Imposes New Sanctions on Iran Over Strait of Hormuz Restrictions

The Ateela 2 Oil Tanker boat navigates the sea on Qeshm Island, Iran, in the Strait of Hormuz, on April 28, 2026. Asghar Besharati/Getty ImagesThe European Union on Monday announced it had placed sanctions on a unit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard ‌Corps (IRGC) and two Iranian nationals for threatening the freedom of navigation of commercial ships by blocking the Strait of Hormuz.In a statement, the European Council said it imposed measures against the Hormozgan Provincial Command, which belongs to the IRGC, after its navy “assumed control of the Strait of Hormuz and implemented a toll system whereby vessels are now required to provide identifying documentation, as well as cargo and destination information ultimately passed onto the Hormozgan Provincial Command.”