The Department warned in the statement that the authority operates as a front for military interests, stating that anyone cooperating with the body may be providing support to and receiving services from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and may be sanctioned.

The economic penalties target Tehran's tight control on the strategic shipping lane, which serves as the conduit for about a fifth of the global oil supply.

Iran closed the strait immediately after the U.S. and Israel launched its war against Iran on February 28, a move that has since sent the world economy into chaos.

Treasury officials said the newly targeted authority was specifically created by Iran to manage and restrict requests for passage through the choke point.

The restrictions tightened further last week when the Persian Gulf Strait Authority published a map reaffirming Tehran's claims to a wide stretch of water on either side of the choke point.

The U.S. government framed the sanctions as a direct response to Iranian financial desperation under international pressure.

"The Iranian military’s latest attempt to extort global maritime trade is proof that Economic Fury has left the regime desperate for cash," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said.